Europol/Spanish PoliceFourteen people have been arrested in Spain and Portugal in a series of raids aimed at a criminal network of 1TN (828 billion British pounds) working with bands across Europe.
Most of the suspects detained last month are Russian citizens, according to the European Law enforcement Agency Europol.
The ring mainly drank money, originating from the illegal drug trafficking and charged a 2-3% transfer commission as part of a “true multinational money laundering company”, according to Spain's National Police.
Nine properties were attacked in cities in Spain, as well as the Portuguese capital Lisbon and over € 1 million in cash and cryptocurrencies were seized.
The gang operates in cities in Spain, with each office cultivating up to 300,000 euros per day for Albanian, Serbian, Armenian, Chinese, Ukrainian and Colombian mafia based within the EU and elsewhere.
The investigation began in 2023, when police noticed that several famous members of the Russian mafia systematically transfer money belonging to foreign citizens in and outside Spain daily.
Europol said the scheme uses the Hawala method, which includes clients in one place approaching a broker, who then connects with a colleague to another place who transferred the desired amount to the recipient.
This allowed gangs to transfer money across the country without moving them physically or digitally between bank accounts.
National policeThe band also looked to expand its business to Cuba in order to install solar panels to provide energy to the Cuban government in exchange for minerals.
During telephone calls with Cuban officials, members of the gang say they have close ties with Spanish political leaders.
Each of the attacked properties in Madrid, Malaga, Marbella, Torremolinos, Coyn, Ayamonte and Lisbon contained a high security safe and a money counting machine stored in a sound office used to darken the recognizable noise of the money counters.
Gang members avoid opening by regularly changing location and vehicles and using encrypted mobile phones.
The phones were connected in such a way that if a group member was arrested, the mobile phones of the entire ring would be locked at the same time.
Police say the three executives remain in custody and claim other arrests are possible.