The probe into Sur Finanzas uncovers alleged ties to Elías Piccirillo, known as the 'king of the blue', and Ariel Vallejo, a financier close to Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia. Authorities detected money laundering and tax evasion exceeding 3.3 billion pesos. They are also investigating emptied safes and unusual operations in Pinamar.
The Dirección General Impositiva (DGI) and the Penal Economic Court lead the probe into Sur Finanzas, accused of evading over 3.3 billion pesos in Cheque Tax from 2022 to 2025, and moving 818 billion through a virtual wallet with intermediaries and fake invoicing. Prosecutor Gerardo Pollicita and Judge María Eugenia Capuchetti are examining checks issued by Construir 11 SA, Piccirillo's company, to settle a 6 million dollar debt with Francisco Hauque. Of 40 checks, only five were presented in January 2025 at Banco Supervielle and deposited in Neblockchain SA, Sur Finanzas' former name, though later rejected.
The feud between Piccirillo and Hauque escalated to an incident at Palacio Duhau, where Piccirillo was accused of planting drugs in Hauque's truck, leading to his temporary detention in March. Gendarmería raided the financial firm's headquarters, seizing documents confirming the company's seals on the checks. Sur Finanzas denied Piccirillo and Hauque as direct clients but provided folders on companies like Smart Farm SA and Main Gain SA, sharing authorities.
At the Pinamar branch, investigators detected unusual movements: only one employee had full access to the safes, allegedly emptied to hide funds, and low-rank monotributistas on bicycles or motorcycles handled millions via 'deliverys'. Some checks passed through money tables in Puerto Madero, marking the first judicial link between 'kings of the blue'. Piccirillo faces other cases for fraud and narcotraffic; in November, he was moved to house arrest in Banfield for mental health reasons, with an electronic anklet.