Former Manchester United midfielder Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira, also known as Anderson, is the subject of an ongoing investigation for alleged crimes involving the use of cryptocurrencies for laundering an estimated £4.7 million.
The investigation also involves seven other people who have been running from the initiative dubbed “Operation Criptoshow,” which has been running for over a year, tracking individuals and criminal organizations that have been embezzling funds through cryptocurrency. The probe is being led by the Rio Grande do Sul state Public Prosecutor’s office.
The prosecutors issued 13 search and seizure warrants, and reports indicate that Anderson’s Porto Alegre apartment was among those raided by authorities, with his personal computer seized in the process. After the raid, Anderson issued a subsequent statement in which he confirmed that he had been involved in crypto as a trader since 2019. Anderson denied, however, that he participated in any illegal activities.
“We have not been summoned, it is hard to talk right now. There is an investigation underway, Anderson has said he is aware. But Anderson is going to prove that he was a victim, not an accomplice. That is his position.” said Julio Cezar Coitinho, Anderson’s lawyer.
The alleged activities involved some 35 million Brazilian reals (or about £4.7 million) which were stolen from the state’s stock exchange. According to prosecutors, the sum was deposited across 11 bank accounts in four states around Brazil and then subsequently laundered through the purchase of cryptocurrencies from other countries, as well as locally.
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