Brazil breaks up China-linked US$190m money-laundering ring tied to top crime syndicate

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Igor PatrickFebruary 13, 2026 at 07:32 PM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Brazilian authorities dismantled a China-linked money-laundering ring accused of laundering US$190 million over seven months. The network allegedly used a Chinese e-commerce platform, "Knup Brasil," to sell imported electronics throughout Brazil. Investigators believe the financial structure behind the sales was designed to conceal revenue, evade taxes, and launder drug money for the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), a major crime syndicate. Customers paid for orders via Brazil's instant payment system to shell companies. Invoices were allegedly falsified to create discrepancies between declared income and actual cash flow.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Xi Jinping 30% Lula da Silva 30% Latin America 40% São Paulo 50% Knup Brasil 60% China ×280% Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) 85% Brazil ×490%

Keywords

money laundering 100% crime syndicate 80% brazil 70% china 70% tax evasion 60% electronics distribution 60% e-commerce platform 50% pcc syndicate 50% financial structure 40%