Civil Guard authorities report that thirty-four individuals connected to money laundering and drug trafficking networks have been apprehended. The operation, which unfolded over the past two years across Cantabria and the provinces of Andalusia, Malaga, Cadiz, and Almeria, marks a significant breakthrough in dismantling a criminal system that polluted multiple local markets with illicit proceeds [Civil Guard].
The investigation led to the dismantling of a structured group involved in drug trafficking activities centered in Campo de Gibraltar. The Los Castañas clan was identified as a protective network for several of these operations, with the core organization providing support and concealment for the illicit activities, enabling the criminal enterprise to function with a degree of impunity [Civil Guard].
In parallel, six legal entities and three commercial companies were placed under investigation as part of the broader money laundering scheme. The Civil Guard released a public statement detailing that the value of assets seized during the operations surpassed 14 million euros, underscoring the scale and reach of the illicit activity [Civil Guard].
The seizure encompassed 40 properties, 42 vehicles, 54 bank accounts, three boats, two fitness centers, a beauty center, a clothing store, 40 pieces of jewelry and watches, and 190,000 euros in cash. Additional items, including weaponry, were also recovered as investigators sought to unravel the full extent of the criminal turnover [Civil Guard].
Documentary searches covered 23 districts across Cadiz, La Línea de la Concepción, Algeciras, Marbella in Malaga, Almería, and Torrelavega in Cantabria. The breadth of these searches highlights the expansive footprint of the operation and the complexity involved in tracing the illicit flows that moved through various fronts and entities [Civil Guard].
Investigators found that members of the money laundering structures acted as fronts for others they trusted, often leveraging imaginary properties and non-transparent commercial activities to hide the illicit origins of their funds. In many cases, legitimate-seeming business activity masked the true source of the money and facilitated its integration into the legal financial system [Civil Guard].
The operation succeeded in restructuring nearly a hundred transactions aimed at cleansing, transforming, and integrating funds obtained from drug trafficking into the legal financial and commercial system. Laundering occurred through real estate investments, the purchase of vehicles and boats, and even the acquisition of lottery coupons through third parties, illustrating the diverse strategies employed to sanitize illicit proceeds [Civil Guard].
The funds were channelled into profitable financial products or injected into bank accounts to finance legitimate ventures such as gyms, taxi licenses, beauty and fashion salons, or marine fishing businesses. By weaving money into these ventures, the criminals aimed to sustain ongoing illegal activity while portraying it as legitimate enterprise [Civil Guard].
The operation was led by the Special Anti-Drug Section within the Office of the Prosecutor of the District of Algeciras and carried out by Civil Guard units in Malaga, Algeciras, Almería, and Cantabria. The work was primarily conducted by Organic Judicial Police Units with the rapid support of the GAR Group, emphasizing a coordinated, cross-regional effort to pierce the criminal network from multiple angles [Civil Guard].