Juan Gayá, the Spanish guru of sports betting, arrested in Mallorca for alleged money laundering

The popular sports forecaster (

) Juan Gayá, 40, was arrested this Tuesday morning at his home in the Mallorcan town of Santa Eugènia accused of the crimes of belonging to a criminal organization and money laundering.

The operation has been directed by the Central Brigade for Economic Crimes of the Madrid National Police and has been declared secret.

Gayá has put up a strong resistance to the arrest and has caused injuries to some of the agents who have participated in the device.

The detainee specialized in betting on lower division matches, especially in the Spanish Second B and Third Division soccer leagues, and exerted enormous influence over legions of bettors.

Sources close to the investigation explain that on Tuesday morning a group of National Police agents deployed in the vicinity of the chalet that Gayá has in the town of Santa Eugènia, in the center of the island.

Shortly after, they broke into the house to stop the sports betting adviser, who tried to flee the place.

However, he has been intercepted by several agents, who have suffered injuries caused by the resistance presented by the detainee.

Some of them have had to be attended later by the medical services.

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The operation has been carried out in other parts of the country simultaneously and more people have been arrested, although no further details have been disclosed for the moment.

The case investigates an alleged money laundering network, in which Gayá would be one of the main parties involved.

Once arrested, the sports betting adviser has been transferred to the dungeons of the Palma National Police Station, where he will remain until he is brought before the courts.

Today I see that many people talk about me.

You have rescued a tweet in which I openly say that I have money.

I have money to live 12 lives.

I'm a millionaire, yes.

Who's bothered to buy a Pinypon and paint it magenta.

I read your answers from the Jacuzzi.

I love you pic.twitter.com/2T0xUm4Kxi

— Juan Gaya Salom (@Juangayasalom) March 24, 2023

Gayá is one of the best-known sports betting advisors.

He has several Telegram channels and a YouTube platform where he advises his followers on where and how to bet.

In his Twitter profile, in which he has almost 85,000 followers, he defines himself as "the most followed sports forecaster in Europe" and an expert in Second B and Third Division football.

The publications of him boasting of his lifestyle, showing his home or the latest model of car that he has bought are frequent.

Just a month ago, Juan Gayá was the protagonist of a La Sexta program in which he showed his elevated way of life and the huge chalet in which he was arrested this Tuesday (which he boasted of having paid for).

In that

he identified himself more as a

stock

“People know the

more , but the

is the one who does the same, but instead of Stock Market, he talks to you about football, tennis, basketball or any sporting event.

I have 300,000 followers and when I place a bet, 300,000 people can see it”, he indicates, to which he adds that they are

because they know “more than the people who bet”.