Athletes and Singers Among Those Losing Luxury Cars
RIO DE JANEIRO – Football players and singers were among the rich and famous who had their luxury cars seized on Friday as part of the Federal Government crackdown on the Israeli Mafia in Brazil. Operation “Black Ops” was carried out by the Federal Organized Crime Task Force, a team made up of Federal Police, Federal Tax Authorities and the Federal Prosecutors Office.
The operation seized property valued at over $28 million USD and included cars belonging to football players Emerson and the Sheik of Corinthians; Diguinho of Flumeinese; and, Kleberson of Atletico Paranaense as well as singers from Latino e Bello.
The operation, the largest to date this year, was aimed at breaking the back of the Israeli Mafia in Brazil. The mafia setup a scheme whereby they would buy stolen luxury cars abroad, using cash proceeds from criminal activities in Brazil, smuggle them into the country and sell them below market through dealerships and agencies in an effort to launder the cash.
According the federal investigators, players and singers, along with entrepreneurs from around the country purchased vehicles from the gang, benefiting from the discounted prices. All imported automobiles are subject to a minimum 100% duty and luxury cars up to 200% bringing the cost of some of the cars to over a million dollars. According to authorities, in addition to loosing their vehicles to seizure, those who purchased them could be subject to prosecution for smuggling unless they can prove that they acted in good faith.
Among the scores of cars seized across the country, was a Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560, valued at U.S. $1.3 million in Sao Paulo. Investigators say that although the cars obviously must have come through Brazilian ports of entry, there is no evidence to suggest the involvement of customs employees in the scheme.
All of the celebraties involed deny any wrongdoing.
Read also: More Articles from Brazil Dispatch
Brazilian online news source for this article: Folha de Sao Paulo
Do you like this post? Please link back to this article by copying one of the codes below.
HTML link code:
0 comments:
Post a Comment