Diego Costa probed by police over gambling website
Atletico Mineiro striker Diego Costa was reportedly the target of a police operation investigating various irregularities to do with a betting website.
The Federal Police of Sergipe, the Brazilian state where Costa was born, deployed an operation against the “alleged practice of exploitation of gambling, money laundering, currency evasion and criminal organisation” as part of an investigation into “ESPORTENET”, a statement said.
The investigation is focused on the owners of that platform, the financial backers and on the “alleged financier of that criminal network”, who is “a footballer”, whose identity was not disclosed, according to the portal “ge”, of the Globo group.
“ge” claim that former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea player Diego Costa is that man, having returned to Brazil after ending his contract in the Spanish capital in late 2020.
On Thursday, police served seven search warrants in the Brazilian states of Sergipe, Bahia (north-east) and Sao Paulo (south-east).
One of these searches was carried out in Lagarto, Costa’s hometown, according to the Federal Police, which did not disclose the exact location of the searches or the identity of those investigated.
The Brazilian authorities pointed out that in the first phase of the operation, which took place in March 2021, documents and computer equipment were seized, which made it possible to investigate in more detail.
Based on this evidence, it was possible to identify “other betting platforms” used by the group, which acted together with “companies” and other people, to “launder money and evade foreign currency”, according to the police statement.
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Money launderers were also identified, reportedly helping “criminal organisations in the process of currency evasion”, and of a “footballer”, who, “allegedly, is the financier of the criminal network”, according to the same source.
This new phase of so-called “Operation Distraction” is focused on the “process of currency evasion, with a focus on the money launderers and the financier” of the betting website, who according to “ge” is Diego Costa.
Costa, who is currently injured, signed a contract with Atletico Mineiro, current leaders of the Brazilian Championship, until December 2022.