Argentina: $2.5M & gold bars in illegal gambling bust
In an operation ordered by prosecutor Santiago Marquevich, seven safety deposit boxes were opened in the town of Canning. The discovery of cash, jewelry, and real estate deeds complicates the legal situation of Roberto Zuco, arrested for violating Article 301 Bis of the Penal Code.
The fight against illegal gambling in the province of Buenos Aires has dealt a new financial blow to clandestine structures. The Federal Justice of Argentina ordered the opening of seven safety deposit boxes linked to the organization known as "Celuapuestas," a network that operated unlicensed online casinos through social media and WhatsApp. The result of the operation was overwhelming: USD 2,511,953, more than 10 million Argentine pesos, 5,855 euros, a 50-gram gold bar, and various pieces of jewelry were seized.
This seizure is not an isolated event but the continuation of a case initiated in May 2023 that seeks to dismantle the money trail of these organizations. Unlike regulated operators who pay taxes and bank their operations, networks like "Celuapuestas" rely on a pyramid structure of "cashiers" who move physical cash, which explains the need to stockpile large sums in private safety deposit boxes for subsequent laundering.
Operation in Canning: Safety deposit boxes full and the money laundering route
The safety deposit boxes were located in a value protection company in the town of Canning, Ezeiza district. According to judicial sources, the most compromising finding was not only the cash but also the seized documentation. Authorities found real estate purchase and sale receipts, a key element that could allow investigators to reconstruct the money laundering maneuvers.
Federal prosecutor Santiago Marquevich was precise in his ruling by requesting not only the seizure of the valuables but also the historical access records to those boxes. The prosecution seeks to cross-reference the dates and times of entry and exit with the financial movements of the gang to determine the involvement of other frontmen. One of the boxes, in fact, was registered under the name of Marta del Valle Santucho, who is currently a fugitive, although Roberto Zuco, the alleged detained ringleader, was authorized to operate it.
From "Celuapuestas" to Article 301 Bis: The fall of a complex organization
The investigation has revealed that this network was not a minor operation. In October 2025, Zuco and other suspects were arrested after multiple raids in three private neighborhoods (countries) in the southern Buenos Aires area. In that first instance, the National Gendarmerie had already seized a fleet of 60 high-end vehicles, along with 120 million pesos and 20 thousand dollars, evidencing the organization’s high purchasing power.
This case falls under the violation of Article 301 Bis of the Argentine Penal Code, which punishes with imprisonment from three to six years anyone who exploits, manages, or operates gambling without the authorization of the competent jurisdictional authority. The analysis of the purchase and sale receipts now aims to identify the financial "facilitators" who helped transform illegal gambling profits into legitimate real estate assets, thus closing the net around the entire criminal structure.
Tags: Argentina, illegal casino Argentina, illegal casinos in Argentina, Celuapuestas, Roberto Zuco