Official Arrested in Argentina for Laundering $27 Billion Using Ex-Inmate Biometrics; Case Linked to Sur Finanzas

A provincial official in Argentina has been arrested in connection with an alleged money laundering scheme involving billions of pesos. The operation reportedly exploited the biometric data of former prisoners to create digital wallets. These wallets were allegedly used to launder funds derived from illegal gambling activities.

The case, spearheaded by a prosecutor in La Plata, has led to the detention of an official from the provincial Directorate of Released Persons, along with other individuals. Authorities accuse them of employing a technique known as "pitufeo," a form of identity theft and financial fraud.

Further complicating the investigation, one of the arrested individuals is also implicated and under embargo in a separate case involving Maximiliano Vallejo, a figure associated with the former sponsor of the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The connection to Sur Finanzas, a financial entity, suggests a broader network potentially involved in illicit financial operations.