Argentine officials arrested over $27bn money laundering scheme

Argentine authorities have dismantled a criminal network accused of laundering 27,000 million pesos (about $27 billion) from illegal gambling and other crimes, using biometric data stolen from vulnerable people. The investigation, led by prosecutor Betina Lacki, resulted in the arrest of a Buenos Aires provincial judicial official, Albertina Mangini, and financier Ignacio Leonel Marchioni, among others Source: lavozar, infobae.

The scheme

According to investigators, Mangini, who worked at the Patronato de Liberados, recruited vulnerable individuals—often ex-convicts or their relatives—offering them 80,000 pesos to have their irises scanned and photos taken, ostensibly for their files. The network then used this biometric data to open bank accounts and virtual wallets in the victims' names, which were controlled by the criminals to move illicit funds Source: clarin, infobae.

The financier's role

Marchioni, previously linked to the Sur Finanzas case involving the AFA, is accused of managing the flow of money through these phantom accounts. He reportedly lived a lavish lifestyle despite declaring debts, and authorities seized a BMW and a Glock firearm from him Source: lavozar.

Discrepancies and next steps

Sources differ on the total amount laundered: lavozar reports 27,000 million pesos, while clarin mentions a woman whose accounts moved 172 million pesos, suggesting a broader scale. Investigators believe the network may have higher-level operators and are working to identify them Source: infobae. The case continues as authorities probe connections to the Sur Finanzas scandal Source: clarin.