The Milan prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into an agency suspected of organizing luxury parties fueled by prostitution and the use of nitrous oxide (known as “laughing gas,” used recreationally by young people).
According to the newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, the scandal involves around 50 Serie A players from the Italian Championship, including athletes from rivals Inter Milan and AC Milan.
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The operation was run by the couple Emanuele Buttini and Deborah Ronchi in the province of Cinisello Balsamo.
The agency sold post-match party “packages” held at high-end hotels and nightclubs, both in Italy and in Mykonos, Greece.
The scheme is believed to have been operating since 2019, even keeping an illegal nightclub active during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
The investigation indicates that more than 100 women of various nationalities were victims of the agency.
They were forced to live at the company’s headquarters, paid for their own accommodation, and had to hand over half of the money they received to the organizers.
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In wiretaps leaked by the authorities, negotiations involving a Brazilian woman were also caught.
Use of substances
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the investigation found that the players used nitrous oxide during the events.
The substance acts as a mild sedative that causes euphoria, but its appeal is that it leaves no traces in the body, which prevented them from being caught in anti-doping tests.
Arrests and developments
The couple Buttini and Ronchi, along with two accomplices, are already under house arrest.
They will face charges for organizing sexual services and money laundering. It is worth noting that, as in Brazil, voluntary prostitution is not considered a crime in Italy; the violation of the law lies in organizing, brokering, and exploiting the work of others.
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Police discovered the athletes’ involvement after analyzing the agency’s Instagram account, which was followed by several players.
In addition, bank transfers were identified between those under investigation and various famous personalities, a group that includes major businessmen and even Formula 1 drivers.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
