The main suspect is believed to have established multiple companies in Brazil using straw men and shell companies to conceal the criminal gains of Italian mafia organizations, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) stated Wednesday.
The money reportedly originated from multiple extortions of Palermo entrepreneurs. The investigation showed that these funds were transferred from Italy to Brazil through intricate money laundering mechanisms, often passing through foreign bank accounts.
According to the Italian Guardia di Finanza, the crimes were aggravated by their facilitation of significant mafia families.
The international operation also targeted a notorious mafia organization, which led to the seizure of nine companies operating primarily in the real estate and hospitality sectors, located mostly in Brazil, but also in Italy, Switzerland, and Hong Kong. Authorities also confiscated over 350,000 euro (US$383,770) during the operation.
According to an initial estimate, the value of the companies managed by the defendants and with the support of the front men, exceeds 500 million euros ($548 million).
The Guardia di Finanza revealed that the investigation has reached a pivotal moment, uncovering that a former regent of the Pagliarelli district, with assistance from an entrepreneur and professionals from northern Italy, launched profitable ventures in Brazil using funds derived from Cosa Nostra’s criminal activities.
Italian authorities emphasized that this latest operation represents “the culmination of a complex investigative activity aimed at shedding light on the shared interests of leading members of the Palermo Cosa Nostra in corporate structures in Italy and abroad, particularly in Brazil.”
Eurojust, which supported the operation, noted that this action followed two years of investigations and an initial operation in August this year, which led to the arrest of a mafia family member and the freezing of assets worth 50 million euros ($54.77 million).