MP-GO carries out a new operation and investigates the 2022 Flamengo game

The Public Ministry of Goiás (MP-GO) began this Tuesday (28) another operation against manipulation of results in Brazilian football. The MP-GO carried out search and seizure warrants in eight cities in five states in the investigation of seven matches, one of which involved Flamengo in last year’s Brasileirão.

The so-called Operation Maximum Penalty III was conducted by the Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime (Gaeco), with support from the Institutional Security and Intelligence Coordination (CSI), the Military Police of Goiás, Cyber ​​Gaeco of the Public Ministry of São Paulo and the Gaecos of the States of Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraíba and Rio de Janeiro, reported the MP-GO.

In total, this Tuesday’s actions, which are an offshoot of Operations Maximum Penalty I and II, served 10 search and seizure warrants in Goiânia (GO), Bataguassu (MS), Campina Grande (PB), Nilópolis (RJ), Santana from Parnaíba (SP), São Paulo (SP), Volta Redonda (RJ) and Votuporanga (SP).

The warrants were issued by the 2nd State Court for Deeds Relating to Offenses Committed by a Criminal Organization and Laundering or Concealment of Rights and Valuables. The investigation investigates possible illicit conduct that could “constitute a criminal organization to defraud the results of football matches (crimes provided for in Law No. 12,850/13 and in articles 198 and 199 of the General Sports Law)”, explains the MP-GO.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating a criminal group that aimed to entice players to participate in a results manipulation scheme in last year’s Brasileirão and State Championship matches played this year. Athletes would receive payments for receiving a yellow and/or red card, taking a penalty or contributing to the partial or total score of a match, benefiting bettors who were also part of the scheme.

According to the MP-GO, seven matches are being invested in this third stage of the operation. One of them is from last year’s Brasileirão: Avaí x Flamengo. There are two Series B of the 2022 Brazilian Championship: Náutico x Sampaio Corrêa and Náutico x Criciúma.

The others are from this year’s State Championships: Goiânia x Aparecidense, Goiás x Goiânia (both for the Goiano Championship), Nacional x Auto Sport and Sousa x Auto Sport (Paraibano Championship).

The MP did not reveal which actions in each game were being investigated, nor did he mention the names of players allegedly involved in the scheme. He only reported that the Brasileirão and Série B matches were played in the second round of the respective competitions.