The Civil Police and the Public Prosecutor's Office of São Paulo launched a new offensive this Thursday (28) against a group suspected of operating illegal online betting platforms and laundering money through shell companies, third-party accounts and dispersed financial structures.
Dubbed "Operation Fake Las Vegas," the action is an offshoot of Operation Fake Mercury, which was already investigating financial crimes and had previously resulted in the judicial freezing of up to R$ 6 billion in assets and accounts linked to individuals and legal entities investigated for alleged connections with the... First Capital Command (PCC).
In this new phase, agents are executing 22 search and seizure warrants and five preventive arrest warrants. The Public Prosecutor's Office has also requested the freezing of assets, real estate, vehicles, and bank accounts belonging to those under investigation.
According to the report released by the task force, 76 properties were seized and more than R$ 5,2 billion in assets linked to the investigated group were frozen.
Investigations indicate that the criminal organization exploited illegal gambling, such as "Jogo do Tigrinho" and "Jogo do Bicho," using structured digital platforms to appear legitimate while moving large sums of money of suspicious origin.
Two platforms supported the scheme.
According to investigators, the group simultaneously operated two distinct betting structures: a formal platform, used to convey an appearance of legality, and a clandestine one, focused on the direct exploitation of prohibited games.
The "Aposte Fácil" platform, linked to the company APF Tecnologia, used references to the Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (Loterj) and processed payments through Riopag, a mechanism that, according to the investigation, helped create an appearance of legality for the operations.
Meanwhile, the suspects maintained the "Black Vegas" platform, hosted outside of Brazil and aimed at exploiting games considered illegal in the country.
According to the police, this clandestine structure was used for betting related to the "Jogo do Tigrinho" (Little Tiger Game) and the "Jogo do Bicho" (Animal Game).
Payments were primarily made via PIX and channeled through intermediary companies, a strategy used to make it difficult to trace the origin and destination of the money.
The operations center stored documents and financial records.
Investigations also indicate that the headquarters of the company ASX Participações e Tecnologia functioned as the operational center of the scheme.
During the searches, agents seized notebooks with financial notes, documents related to betting platforms, and records linked to the supply of payment machines.
According to investigators, the organization had an internal division of functions and operated with a structure similar to that of business groups.
One group would be directly responsible for running the illegal gambling operations. Another group coordinated bank transactions, financial transfers, and the movement of funds between accounts.
Members were also identified who were responsible for supplying the scheme with cash and distributing funds among different bank accounts, companies, and financial operators to conceal the origin of the resources.
Shell companies and "front men" were used to hide money.
The task force also identified a sophisticated money laundering scheme based on the use of fragmented deposits, shell companies, and "front men."
According to the investigation, one of the companies used in the scheme was the IRKA Group, identified by investigators as a financial link between operators of illegal platforms and members of the PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital).
Financial analyses have uncovered bank transfers made by companies linked to the group to individuals under investigation for alleged ties to the criminal organization.
Among the names mentioned are suspects cited in the investigation into the murder of Antonio Vinicius Lopes Gritzbach.
Investigators claim that large volumes of cash were converted into dispersed deposits across various bank accounts to make tracking more difficult.
In one of the operations investigated by the police, more than R$ 1 million was allegedly quickly distributed among companies linked to the scheme.
According to the investigation, individuals formally registered as partners in the companies stated in their testimonies that they only lent documents in exchange for monthly payments.
In practice, according to reports gathered by the police, third parties effectively controlled the bank accounts, financial transactions, and operations of the betting platforms.
Operation increases pressure on illegal betting market.
"Operation Fake Las Vegas" comes amid increased investigations into digital betting platforms, suspicious financial transactions, and potential connections between the illegal gambling market and criminal organizations.
In recent years, authorities have intensified their monitoring of companies linked to the sector, especially after the explosion of the online betting market in the country and the popularization of digital games such as "Jogo do Tigrinho" (Little Tiger Game).
For investigators, the ease of moving money electronically, the use of intermediary companies, and the rapid circulation of funds through PIX have created new difficulties for oversight bodies and those combating money laundering.
Thursday's operation deepens the line of investigation into the use of digital platforms for asset concealment, movement of illicit funds, and financing of criminal organizations.
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