Costa Rica authorities said this past week that there was over 100 million dollars that moved through this country via Liberty Reserve accounts, company accused this week in the United States of money laundering 6,000 million worldwide.
The Director of Intelligence and Security Celso Gamboa, and Deputy Director of the Costa Rican Drug Institute (ICD), Bernadette Marin, said at a press conference that it is impossible for 6.000 billion to have passed through Costa Rica.
Marin said that since 2009 they detected suspicious movements of Liberty Reserve and in 2011 moved the case to the Attorney General, where they began an investigation that led to the international joint that ultimately derailed the organization.
The official said that no more than 100 million Liberty Reserve banks moved by Costa Rica and they seized an account of the firm for $ 20 million.
U.S. Federal authorities on Tuesday accused the company Liberty Reserve, based in Costa Rica, to be the “world’s benchmark bank criminal” and facilitated a money laundering operation of 6,000 million through its virtual currency system.
Arthur Budovsky, founder and head of Liberty Reserve, was arrested by Spanish police in Madrid-Barajas airport last week, along with Moroccan Azzeddine El Amine, considered the “number two” of the company.
The operation coordinated international security forces from 17 countries.
Celso Gamboa, said this is a “historic” blow worldwide.
Gamboa announced the strengthening of a task force against money laundering composed of police, judicial, and from the Costa Rican Banking Association, which will study new tools to address these offenses.
Costa Rican authorities raided several luxury properties in San Jose in and seized computers, servers, documents and three Rolls-Royce’s.
The founder, Arthur Budovsky acquired Costa Rican nationality by marrying a woman of this country, apparently after paying a sum of money.
In 2011 the company was investigated in Costa Rica where they were originally denied operating permits, later they formed Liberty Reserve and operated clandestinely under a series of shell companies, according to research.
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
San Jose Costa Rica
