HomeNewsBrief$5 Bn Money Laundering Bust Puts Brazil Under Spotlight
BRIEF

$5 Bn Money Laundering Bust Puts Brazil Under Spotlight

BRAZIL / 17 MAR 2014 BY SETH ROBBINS EN

A coordinated wave of police raids in Brazil dismantled a ring alleged to have laundered nearly five billion dollars -- stark evidence that huge quantities of criminal money is flowing through one of the world's largest economies.

More than 400 police searched 81 different properties and served more than a dozen arrest warrants in 17 different Brazilian cities, according to business newspaper Valor Economico. Among those arrested was the owner of one of the largest gas stations in the federal capital of Brasilia, according to news agency EBC.

According to police, several main players behind black-market money exchanges in Brazil were also part of the ring. The ring is alleged to have laundered about 10 billion reais, approximately $4.3 billion, for individuals and companies involved in drug trafficking, tax evasion, gemstone smuggling, illegal mining and other crimes.

The operation was entitled, Lavo Jato, or Jet Wash, because the money-laundering scheme used a number of gas stations and dry cleaners to "wash" the criminal money.

According to Folha De S. Paulo, the operation was linked to the arrest of Andre Santos, a businessman caught last December with nearly $300,000 in his socks at the Brasilia airport. Santos is accused of being the financial arm of a Lebanese gang that smuggled illegal goods from Paraguay.

InSight Crime Analysis

The enormous amount of money that passed through this money-laundering scheme underscores the fact that Brazil, the world's seventh largest economy, is clearly struggling to combat financial crimes.

According to one 2008 estimate, official corruption is responsible for up to 70 percent of the money laundered in Brazil. And just last February, InSight Crime media partner Publica outlined how a Brazilian businessman in Florida allegedly laundered money for Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel.

SEE ALSO: Brazil News and Profiles

According to the State Department's annual drug report, it is difficult to determine comprehensive numbers on money laundering patterns in Brazil because the country does not keep records on convictions or arrests. The State Department report named São Paulo, Brazil and surrounding parts of Argentina and Paraguay as areas that possess "high risk factors" for money laundering because smuggling is rampant -- not only of drugs and weapons but also CDs, DVDs and illegal computer software.

The report details that high-priced goods are often paid for in US dollars and then the money is smuggled from Paraguay into Brazil, where it can eventually make its way into US banking systems. At least part of that scheme appears to have been replicated in this money laundering case.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

BRAZIL / 10 JUL 2021

Brazil has seen its fair share of new synthetic drugs, but the latest hit, known as “love honey,” may be…

AUC / 15 SEP 2021

Dozens of properties and other assets seized from Memo Fantasma, one of Colombia’s foremost drug traffickers, will be used to…

BRAZIL / 27 JAN 2022

Residents in Rio de Janeiro's marginalized favelas are contending with yet another massive police operation promising to deliver a true…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Paraguay Election Coverage Draws Attention 

5 MAY 2023

InSight Crime looked at the various anti-organized crime policies proposed by the candidates in Paraguay’s presidential election, which was won on April 30 by Santiago Peña. Our pre-election coverage was cited…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports

28 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s work was cited nine times in a new report by the Organization of American States (OAS) titled “The Impact of Organized Crime on Women,…