For 5 years, a group of entrepreneurs delivered more than 124 million euros in cash in Póvoa Casino. At the same time, I received game sheets that it converted to 500 euros notes to get receipt and seem that the money had legal origin.
Between 2012 and 2017, almost daily, a group of businessmen from Varziela (Vila do Conde) used the Casino da Póvoa de Varzim as a money washing machine.
The scheme began with the owners of clothing or shoe sales establishments from China, sold in the “Chinatown do Norte” warehouses, where entrepreneurs sold goods without any type of billing, omitting the payment of VAT and IRC.
As the (JN) details, in their daily activity, entrepreneurs received cash in low facial value notes. The envelopes were then collected in stores by two defendants.
“Knowing the illicit origin of these amounts, then it was to transport them to the Casino of Póvoa de Varzim, where they delivered the said low facial value notes for the purchase of play cards and sold the mentioned cards receiving the corresponding amounts of 500 euros for this sale,” the Public Prosecution Service (MP), cited by JN.
Entrepreneurs delivered more than 124 million eurosfrom tax fraud, in cash, in the casino boxes. At the same time, they received gaming sheets that converted to 500 euro notesto obtain official receipt beads, to seem that the money had legal origin – and was on the sidelines of tax statements.
The MP points to the “Inertia” of Casino employeesthat, at an almost daily pace, they gave the same alleged players 500 euros and allowed the defendants to make money exchanges.
A single defendant managed to exchange 67 million eurosbetween 2012 and 2017.
The accusation states that the defendants wanted to get 500 euros notes, because it was easier to get them to China.
The case is on trial at the Matosinhos Court. 12 defendants and four companies are responsible for criminal association, aggravated fiscal fraud e laundering of capital.
