The Federal Police claims to have identified the use of 549 CPFs of dead people in documents used in operations linked to Pixbet, the target of operations in Paraíba, São Paulo and three other states to investigate the company on Thursday (13). Operation Arena investigates an alleged currency evasion and money laundering scheme through sports betting.
According to the representation sent to the Federal Court, documents on financial transactions with alleged money laundering in a tax haven contained records associated with deceased people - some more than 20 years ago.
The names linked to CPF numbers were changed after an alert to the Financial Activities Control Council (COAF) triggered by the system that authorizes the purchase of foreign currency (ACAM). Despite the identification of irregularities and notification to Anspace, the payment institution most used by the Pixbet group, the CPFs were maintained in the transactions.
The use of CPFs gave deceased third parties a false identity when carrying out unauthorized exchange operations, with the aim of promoting the outflow of money from a country abroad, which constitutes the crime of currency evasion.
The PF document also records that it is not known how records of deceased people were used, but there is evidence that the company was not a victim of fraudulent operations, but rather an active agent of documentation fraud.
Still on Thursday (14), the Ministry of Finance ordered the immediate suspension of Pixbet's operations. The precautionary measure also establishes the cancellation of ongoing bets and the return of bet amounts to users.
g1 contacted Pixbet's defense on Thursday. The company's defense said that it did not have access to the determination that authorized the operation and that it was "caught by surprise". The defense also said that, when it has access to the decision, it will speak out.
Operation Arena
The action, called Operation Arena, aimed to investigate the business group suspected of using the company's corporate and financial structure abroad to hide the origin and destination of resources from the exploitation of gambling and sports betting. The action was carried out by the Federal Police, the Public Ministry of Paraíba (MPPB) and the Federal Revenue Service.
Lawyer Nelson Wilians was the target of the operation at his residence in São Paulo. Federal agents carried out a search and seizure warrant at the lawyer's mansion in a decision taken by the Paraíba Court.
In a note, lawyer Santiago Schunck, who represents Nelson Wilians, said that the relationship between his client's office and PixBet "is strictly professional and arises from the provision of legal services".
Ernildo Júnior, owner of the online betting company PixBet, was approached on the street by police officers, in Campina Grande, while he was in a car. The vehicle was seized, as was his cell phone, pursuant to a search and seizure warrant. The images were filmed and record the moment of approach in an area at the entrance to the city of Campina Grande.
The suspects may be responsible for the crimes of currency evasion, money laundering, as well as other crises against the national financial system.
How the scheme worked
The Federal Police detailed how the alleged currency evasion and money laundering scheme worked through sports betting. According to the PF, the money was laundered by sending resources to a tax haven in Curaçao.
According to the Federal Police, the money that came from betting was sent abroad through financial compensation companies.
Afterwards, the amounts were received by a shell company, with no employees or economic activity, registered in Curaçao, a tax haven.
After receiving the money, the company's partners requested payments justified by invoices, issued by the company in Curaçao without any service being effectively provided.
With the invoices detailing the services, the money returned to Brazil as payment for supposed services contracted outside the country, appearing to have a legal origin and ultimately returning to the assets of the company itself or the partners involved.
