Mexico Closes 13 Gender Millions Of Dollars Laundering Casinos, Groupo Salinas Conglomerate Murka

UNSPLASH / Micha ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Mexican authorities have stopped operations at 13 casinos allegedly used to launder millions of dollars overseas.

Grupo Salinas, conglomerate of a company owned by the king of television, retail and banking Ricardo Salinas Pliego, who has repeatedly clashed with President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration, said two of the casinos targeted belonged to them.

Reported by ABC News, Thursday, November 13, the conglomerate denies wrongdoing and accuses the government of abusing its business.

Meanwhile, Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcmen Harfuch said the three companies involved had ties to organized crime, but he did not identify any companies.

The scheme usually begins with identity theft, said Grisel Galeano, Mexico's top tax prosecutor.

Students, housewives, or retirees who don't have much money will receive an electronic card or prepaid code from an unknown source they can use at the casino.

After they place a bet, although the number is small, the casino will use their identities to record an unexpected profit of millions of dollars.

The money will be transferred to accounts of fake businesses abroad and then to tax havens. The money will then be sent back to Mexico via casinos or other companies, according to Galeano.

The investigation, which lasted for months, involved authorities in other countries, including the United States, Mexican officials said.