During the month of February, one of the largest operations in history was successfully completed against the illegality of gambling and chance, in which the authorities gave a strong blow to the criminal gang "Los Blancos".

In this way, after the capture and dismantling of the gang, Argenta, the search bloc against criminal finances and money laundering, began the phase of identifying the assets that are in the possession or on behalf of persons linked to “Los Blancos”.

During the weekend, nine properties in Cartagena, Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío and Ocaña (Norte de Santander), valued at 1,100 million pesos, were occupied by the CTI and Sijín for the purpose of extinction of ownership. The Prosecutor's Office imposed precautionary measures of seizure, kidnapping and suspension of device power over those assets, which would belong to the brothers Martín and José Pacífico Pita Buitrago, alleged members of “Los Blancos”.

“Judicial Police work of the CTI of the Prosecutor's Office and the Sijín of the Metropolitan Police of Manizales showed that “Los Blancos”, apparently, are linked to the illegal sale of chance 15 years ago. This criminal activity, supposedly, was carried out at the national level with the support of 500 people who fulfilled different roles”, the judicial body assured.

Investigations by the Prosecutor's Office indicate that weekly that band received up to 2,000 million pesos ($548.000 USD), which were destined to support the criminal scaffolding and increase the assets of the alleged members.

According to the report of the Prosecutor's Office, it was made up of about 300 people, including planters, sellers and promoters, obtaining profits without paying any type of taxes, or contributing any resource to the health of the departments where they carried out their illegal activity.

Of the members of the captured gang, 40 were convicted of the crimes of illegal exercise of monopolistic activity of income tax and conspiracy to commit a crime.