Allegedly A Financier Of A Criminal Network Linked To A Gambling Site, Diego Costa Is Being Questioned By The Police

Diego Costa (Instagram @diegocosta)

JAKARTA - Atletico Mineiro striker Diego Costa has been the target of a police operation investigating various irregularities related to gambling sites.

The Federal Police of Sergipe, the Brazilian state where Costa was born, launched an operation against alleged gambling exploitation, money laundering, currency evasion and criminal organization as part of an investigation into "ESPORTENET", said a statement carried by MARCA on Friday.

The investigation is focused on the owner of the platform, financial backers and on the alleged financier of the criminal network, who is a footballer whose identity has not been disclosed, according to the "ge" portal, of the Globo group.

"ge" claims former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea player Diego Costa is the man, having returned to Brazil after ending his contract in the Spanish capital at the end of 2020.

On Thursday, police issued seven search warrants in the states of Sergipe, Bahia (northeast) and Sao Paulo (southeast) in Brazil.

One of these searches was carried out in Lagarto, Costa's hometown, according to the Federal Police, which did not reveal the exact location of the raids or the identities of those investigated.

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 allowed a more detailed investigation.

Based on this evidence it is possible to identify another betting platform used by the group, which acts jointly between the company and other parties to launder money and evade foreign currency, according to a police statement.

According to the same source, money launderers were also identified. He reportedly assisted criminal organizations in the currency evasion process and the footballer was suspected of being a criminal network financier.

This new phase of the so-called "Operation Disruption" is focused on the currency evasion process, focusing on money launderers and financiers of betting sites, which "ge" says is Diego Costa.

Costa, who is currently injured, signed a contract with Atletico Mineiro, the current leaders of the Brazilian Championship, until December 2022.