National Police, In a joint operation with Europol, they dismantled a criminal organization involved in drug trafficking and money laundering and relocated within a year 65.5 million Euro through the “Hawala” method, a currency exchange system. 27 people were detained during the operation Alicante (1), Barcelona (6), Madrid (7), Malaga (7), Sevilla (2) and Valencia (1).
Interventions were made during searches 615,000 euros in cashten luxury watches worth more than 400,000 euros, two high-end vehicles, money counting machines, computer equipment and encrypted mobile phones.
The organization, led by Albanian citizens, supported different international organizations in laundering illegally obtained funds to facilitate drug trafficking payments.
The investigation started after reports crime intelligence It was sent by Europol and thus it was possible to identify an organization composed of citizens of Albanian origin, dedicated to the trafficking of narcotics, in particular the cultivation of “indoor” cannabis crops. Albanians, together with citizens of Chinese origin, would form a complex structure in which both groups gained mutual advantage and benefit from the criminal activities they engaged in.
large amounts of money
During the investigation, agents were able to confirm that Chinese nationals were delivering large amounts of cash to businesses, which were in turn compensated elsewhere, with the ultimate goal of having this money delivered to their country of origin. to the relevant legal or official control in Spain. On the other hand, Albanian “hawaladars” operating as if they were a banking institution, carried out the “transfer” and storage of large amounts of money from drug sales and refinancing new operations.
Investigators discovered that at the top of the criminal structure were two Albanian citizens, one serving as a leader and the other as a lieutenant and accountant. Since at least 2018, these coordinators have had two coordinators of Chinese descent, who allegedly manage a large “portfolio” of multiple resources. Asian organizations spread across national territories, They fulfilled cash demands from drug trafficking criminal organizations whenever and wherever they needed.
Businesses acted in the same way regardless of their location, amassing large amounts of cash that were delivered to drug traffickers and their “mules” in exchange for financial compensation, and used a TOKEN as a security measure, often coinciding with the numbering. Stores a low face value bill.
Multiple deliveries
During the examined period between May 2020 and March 2021, continuous and multiple cash deliveries totaling approximately €65.5 million were made to Albanian criminal organizations in the provinces of Barcelona, Malaga, Valencia, Madrid, Seville and Alicante.
It was determined that some of those detained within the scope of the investigation went on a visit. Establishment of a “training workshop” He said that they later carried out control visits to a single-family house in the municipality of Madrid, where three people were arrested and approximately 65 kilos of marijuana were seized. On the other hand, the leader of the organization of Albanian origin was arrested for allegedly kidnapping one of the “hawaladers” and being responsible for illegal detention, wounding and illegal possession of weapons.
Source: Informacion
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