The Civil Police of Goiás dismantled a criminal organization involved in electronic fraud and money laundering. This group is suspected of smuggling around 164 million Brazilian reais. The operation, dubbed "Operation Deep Chase," was supported by Binance, one of the leading trading platforms in Brazil.
The Government's Cybercrime Combat Agency (DERCC) carried out the operation with support from the Signals Intelligence Department and the Anti-Money Laundering Technology Lab. The global research team at Binance also provided support for the operation.
How did the criminal organization operate?
They were responsible for uncovering suspicious cryptocurrency transactions and providing technical support to the authorities. In fact, the investigation, which lasted a year and a half, began after identifying transactions made by Brazilian users using virtual wallets linked to illegal markets on the dark web.
The criminals traded banking data, cloned cards, and forged documents in these environments. The organization used anonymity techniques, asset fragmentation, and fake accounts to conceal the source of the funds. The goal was to integrate securities from the parallel economy of the dark web into the traditional financial system.
During the operation, authorities executed 41 temporary arrest warrants and 43 search and seizure warrants in eight municipalities in Goiás, the federal district, and Rio de Janeiro. 180 officers participated in the operation. Forged documents, printers, card machines, drugs, and weapons were seized.
According to Barbara Bottini, the lead representative of the operation, collaboration with Binance was essential during the investigation:
Guilherme Nizar, Vice President of Binance for Latin America, stated: "Binance is fully committed to the safety of the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Our priority is to work closely with Brazilian law enforcement to combat the misuse of crypto assets and protect users and the market as a whole."
In fact, those involved are expected to face charges of aggravated theft through fraud, forgery of documents, money laundering using crypto assets, and belonging to a criminal gang. The Center for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime documented the operation on video.