A La Plata prosecutor is investigating an alleged criminal network accused of laundering funds from unauthorized online casinos.
The group allegedly recruited vulnerable people to scan their irises and used the resulting biometric data to open digital wallet accounts.
Fiscal Betina Lacki, who leads the case for the La Plata criminal justice system, estimates the scheme moved close to ARS 27bn ($17,8m). According to the investigation, the money originated from clandestine online casinos and was routed through the wallet structure to bypass tax and banking controls.
Security forces arrested Cristian Cigliano, a suspect linked to the used-car trade, in Mar del Plata in the latest move in the case, bringing the number of detainees to four.
He joins Ignacio Marchioni, Mauro Perrota and Albertina Mangini, an employee of the Buenos Aires provincial judicial branch, among those held in pretrial detention.
Investigators allege Mangini directly approached vulnerable residents and persuaded them to scan their irises in exchange for cash. The biometric data was then used to open financial profiles on digital platforms through which proceeds from the illegal gambling operation were allegedly laundered.
Mangini's defense, led by lawyers Alfredo Gascón and Miguel Molina, has asked the court to ease her detention conditions. The request cites medical, psychological and psychiatric assessments describing severe weight loss, restricted eating and thoughts of self-harm associated with her confinement.
The prosecution's office maintains active arrest warrants for two other suspects still considered fugitives, whom investigators view as central to the network's operations. Search teams continue tracking efforts and data cross-checks to locate them.
Sources with access to the investigation said authorities are also examining whether the companies and virtual wallets involved match patterns identified in other money-laundering cases under review elsewhere in the country.
The iris scans linked to the alleged scheme took place between June and November 2024, with people reportedly paid to provide their biometric data
