The Federal Revenue and the Federal police triggered, on the morning of this Wednesday (19), the Operation “Money Heist”. The name of the operation was given because some of those investigated had Spanish nationality and had fictitiously created their own bank and their own “mint”, similar to the series.
Photo: Federal Police
The action aims to dismantle a criminal organization responsible for implementing a transnational financial pyramid scheme in more than 80 countries. Furthermore, they committed crimes against the national financial system, currency evasion, ideological falsehood, money laundering, usurpation of public assets, environmental crime and fraud as a financial institution.
Agents are executing freezing warrants worth 20 million dollars and kidnapping of money in bank accounts.
In addition, they seized high-end properties, 100 heads of cattle, 75 sheep, vehicles, gold, jewelry, luxury items, an emerald mine, speedboats and crypto assets in the possession of the individuals and legal entities under investigation.
Operations
Investigations were initiated after the arrest of two members of the group and their private security guard, in 2021, in the city of Dourados (MS), transporting $100.000 in gemstones (emeralds), without supporting documentation.
As the investigation progressed, it was possible to verify that those involved had a relationship with a religious entity, which made it possible to identify others involved.
It was found that those investigated created a network of followers and collaborators on the internet, causing losses to Brazilian, European and, mainly, Latin American “investors”.
The scheme moved resources in the order of millions of dollars and caused losses for over 1,3 million people worldwide.
How to act
The Operation discovered that the suspects made massive use of social networks, marketing, meetings in several states and countries, in addition to having the structure and support of a religious entity belonging to one of them. In this way, they raised funds and offered investment packages/financial contributions ranging from 15 dollars to 100 thousand dollars, with the promise of daily earnings in very high percentages.
Although they announced on social media that they were largely legalized in Estonia and that they would be partners in two financial institutions, all the companies in the group did not actually exist.
Photo: Federal Revenue
The suspects did not have any authorization to raise funds in Brazil, Estonia or any other country. Furthermore, they received several warnings from financial institutions in several countries.
According to the Police, through websites and applications that it maintained on social media, the criminal organization promised that investments would be multiplied in daily earnings, which could reach up to 20% per month and more than 300% per year.
All of this was done through transactions in the cryptocurrency market by supposed “traders” working for the company.
They would then multiply the invested capital, providing percentage gains on the amounts invested by new people who were attracted to the scheme.
The illegal practice became more sophisticated over the course of the crimes, encompassing alleged investments resulting from profits from diamond and emerald mines that the company allegedly had in Brazil and abroad, in the wine and travel markets, in a solar power plant and recycling plant, among others.
In this way, the bank accounts of the suspects, shell companies, relatives, and third parties linked to the group were used to move the money. In addition, it had the help of a religious entity that, alone, moved more than R$15 million, which was also used to attract investors, seeking to hide and launder the funds.
Customers complained
However, after the meteoric and speculative rise promoted by those investigated, cryptocurrencies lost all market value and the currency “went bankrupt”.
Soon after the crash, social media was flooded with thousands of complaints on numerous websites in Brazil and other countries. Customers were trying to get their money back, but without success.
According to the Police, the organizers of the scheme created narratives of problems in the cryptocurrency market, financial losses, problems with the company's systems and websites and that they would pay the amounts with a new system under development.
Furthermore, they falsified news that was constantly released that some investors were normally transacting and receiving amounts from the company.
Operation seizures
Finally, the Federal Police issued six preventive arrest warrants against the leaders of the criminal organization and 41 search and seizure warrants, issued by the 3rd Federal Court of Campo Grande/MS, in the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Goiás, Maranhão and Santa Catarina.
16 vehicles
100 heads of cattle
75 sheep
268 kg of green stones that resemble emeralds, awaiting expertise and evaluation
Real 21000
9250 US dollars
1280 Euros
$250K in crypto assets
Jewelry and watches and pens
35 Cell phones
15 Computers
Electronic equipment
Documents
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