Argentine police say they have dismantled a massive network of online casino money mules, as part of an operation that saw officers raid an exclusive gated community.
The Argentinian newspaper Clarín reported that officers seized “high-end cars and cash” from what the newspaper described as a mansion.
Officers did not reveal how many people the network had recruited. But they claimed that the revenues from this illegal operation allowed its masterminds to “live a life of luxury.”
Argentine Casino Money Mules: Police Raid Gated Community
Police carried out the operation in conjunction with the Federal Court of Mar del Plata, in Buenos Aires Province.
Anti-narcotics units from both federal and provincial police forces also participated in the raids. The main focus of the raids was a house in the upscale Rumencó neighborhood.
Officers said they were looking for the recruiters of mules, whom they described as vulnerable people who trade their biometric data in exchange for money.
Police said they seized banknotes, cell phones, and computer hardware from the house. They also impounded several motor vehicles, including an Audi S4, a BMW 135, a BMW 440i, and four imported motorcycles.
Investigators reported that they confiscated $174,460 in U.S. dollars at the house. They also seized Argentine pesos, Brazilian reais, Uruguayan pesos, and Paraguayan guarani, evidence that the group may have recruited mules from all over Latin America.
Officers made two arrests and are searching for two additional individuals. One of the two fugitives was identified as the mansion’s owner. Police say the suspect is now in Paraguay.
The other suspect is currently in Uruguay, according to police.
Probe Shrouded in ‘Secrecy,’ Say Police
The probe is spearheaded by Federal Judge Santiago Inchausti and Federal Prosecutor Laura Mazzaferri. The duo launched the investigation amid another probe into electronic goods smugglers who worked with corrupt customs employees.
Investigators found that the mastermind of the smuggling ring had eventually branched out into the world of illegal online casinos. This sparked a separate police raid on 22 homes, commercial properties, and offices in Mar del Plata.
The media outlet said that the Rumencó raid was “an offshoot of the smuggling case.” The investigators think suspects used mules’ identities to “open bank and e-pay accounts, where they deposited illicit gambling revenues to obscure their origin.”
Police said that the investigation was ongoing and was subject to “strict levels of secrecy.”
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Argentine police say they have dismantled a massive network of online casino money mules, as part of an operation that saw officers raid an exclusive gated community. The Argentinian newspaper Clarín reported that officers seized “high-end cars and cash” from what the newspaper described as a mansion. Officers did not reveal how many people the
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