Operation Narco Bet, carried out this Tuesday (14) by the Federal Police, resulted in 11 arrests, more than a dozen luxury vehicles seized and R$630 million blocked. The resources originated from money laundering via online betting companies (bets), used as a tool for the entry of illegal resources obtained abroad through the international cocaine trafficking route by sea.
“Investigations indicate that the criminal group used sophisticated money laundering techniques, with financial transactions in cryptocurrencies and international remittances, aimed at hiding the illicit origin of values and dissimulating assets”, explains the PF in a press release.
In total, 19 search and seizure warrants were carried out to obtain more information about the criminal network and capture the criminal organization’s assets. The targets were mainly related to accounting and nationalization of resources.
The search and seizure warrants were in cities in four states, one in Itajaí (SC), four in Mogi das Cruzes (SP), three in São Paulo, three in Santos (SP), two in Barueri (SP), two in Bertioga (SP), one in Birigui (SP), one in Igaratá (SP), in addition to one in Rio de Janeiro and one in Lagoa Santa (MG). Among the 11 arrests, one was carried out in Germany, with support from local police.
During the operation, the PF stated that it had evidence that part of the resources obtained from trafficking was being used to regularize drug companies. bets. The laundering also used cryptocurrencies and international payments to hide the origin of the funds.
Deployment
This operation was an outcome of the seizure of a Brazilian sailboat by the United States Navy, in February 2023. Investigated, it revealed a naval trafficking route between South America and Europe, both in its operational aspect and in its money laundering and nationalization strategies.
The first operation, called Narco Vela, involved more than 300 federal police officers and 50 military police officers from the state of São Paulo. At the time, 35 arrest warrants and 62 search and seizure warrants were served, issued by the Court of the 5th Federal Court of Santos, in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Maranhão, Pará and Santa Catarina, with the blocking and seizure of assets worth around R$1.32 billion.
