Money laundering news 14 October 2008 London-based Brazilian forgery gang jailed

The leader of a Brazilian forgery gang in London and three accomplices have been jailed for a total of eighteen and a half years, on charges including money laundering offences, forgery of immigration documents and the possession of drugs.

The mans arrest, in March of this year, followed the discovery of a forgery production line in Whitechapel. Two members of the gang were arrested on the spot, and police then raided the houses of Robson Luis Bastos, the suspected leader of the ring, and of another man.

Police investigations found large amounts of specialist equipment and documents that would assist in identity fraud, invoices valued at around £36,000, 150 grammes of cocaine and almost £3,000 in cash. This was held to be the proceeds of crime.

Speaking on behalf of the operation, Detective Inspector Nick Downing said, This was a well organised criminal business that was providing high quality counterfeit documents to anyone that could pay for them. This operation has completely taken out this organised crime network.

All four had pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing false identity documents. Bastos also pleaded guilty to a further charge under money laundering law.

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