The Civil Police, through the State Division of Criminal Investigations of Piracicaba, in the interior of São Paulo, launched Operation Breaking the Bank, against a criminal organization that laundered almost R$100 million through the illegal exploitation of gambling.
14 search and seizure warrants were executed in the cities of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Mogi-Mirim, Santa Rosa do Viterbo and São João da Boa Vista.
According to investigations, those involved had been operating for decades using shell companies and an extensive network of “oranges” – people used to lend their name and hide who really owns the money – to hide the profit obtained from illicit activities.
The Deic delegate explained that the investigations began with arrests for gambling which, despite being a minor crime, encourages other types of crimes considered serious, such as money laundering and criminal organization.
Financial intelligence reports revealed that the main leader of the gang moved more than R$25 million in just one half of 2024, in addition to having a history of million-dollar transactions in previous years.
During the operation this Tuesday (13), electronic devices, instruments used in betting, vehicles and amounts of money were collected. Investigations are ongoing to identify other members of the criminal scheme.
