Brazil’s government is in the final stages of preparing operations targeting organized crime in the online betting and tobacco sectors, a senior government official with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The move reflects a broader strategy to choke off criminal organizations financially, and the source said the plan would not change despite the United States’ decision to designate Brazil’s two largest gangs as terrorist organizations.
According to the source, criminal groups are believed to be involved in cigarette smuggling and the illegal sale of tobacco products, as well as in infiltrating unlicensed betting platforms that continue to operate despite the sector’s regulation in Brazil. In both areas, small financial institutions, including fintechs, are allegedly being used to launder money.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are not public, said the operations could be launched at any moment but that an exact timing could not yet be determined, given the need to coordinate with police authorities, prosecutors, and the judiciary.
