The group allegedly organized, ran, and managed illegal betting activity tied to \u201cjogo do bicho\u201d (literal translation, animal game). It\u2019s a type of lottery that has been illegal in Brazil, except in Paraiba, for 77 years.<\/p>\n
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The lottery game’s illegal status hasn\u2019t kept it from being hugely popular, with millions of dollars wagered on it each year. The legal system has generally concluded that jogo do bicho is nothing more than a channel for laundering money, since wagers of any size are accepted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Jogo do bicho\u2019s cult status is reflected in the recent raids and arrests. The police didn\u2019t target the game itself, only the money laundering aspect associated with it.<\/p>\n
This is not the first time the older Nogueira has been targeted by the Department of Criminal Investigations. In 2012, he faced allegations of illegal gambling, and in December 2020, an investigation targeted him as the head of a money laundering outfit in Rio de Janeiro.<\/p>\n
Bringing Down the House<\/h2>\n
The investigation behind Operation Fratelli lasted two years. It culminated in 173 warrants in two states and 10 cities this week. Among them are 45 search and seizure warrants, three preventive arrest warrants, 125 bank blocking orders, and 23 property unavailability.<\/p>\n
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The Civil Police said in a statement that the crime syndicate was based in Vale dos Sinos, and has links with a national faction based in S\u00e3o Paulo. In addition to the money laundering claims, it also supplied drugs to the extreme south neighborhoods of Porto Alegre and S\u00e3o Leopoldo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The organization is also accused of extortion in Porto Alegre, where it allegedly forced residents of a community there to pay for asphalting, with the aim of improving drug trade routes. The asphalt work was completed, although local officials never intervened.<\/p>\n
Despite the massive number of arrests, the investigation continues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Police across Brazil are wrapping up a massive investigation that includes organized crime, illegal gambling, and money laundering. They\u2019ve already arrested two dozen people, including the wife and father-in-law of a prominent soccer player. The Rio Grande do Sul (RS) Civil Police have indicted 24 people for their involvement in the scheme. The accused began […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":269570,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,81884],"tags":[40,81904,81894],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Brazilian Soccer Player's Wife Faces Charges of Laundering Money for Illegal Betting Ring - Casino.org<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n