Cross-Border Operation Targets Money Laundering Tied to Drug Trade

In a concerted operation spanning several jurisdictions, law enforcement agencies from Catalonia, national police forces, and Portugal’s Judicial Police coordinated with Europol to disrupt the money networks that support illegal drug trafficking. The mission concentrated resources on financial investigations aimed at severing the funding streams that allow organized crime to prosper. About 150 officers from the Mossos d’Esquadra, drawn from multiple units, carried out entries and searches at a number of properties in the towns of Tarragona, Valls, and Sant Cugat del Vallès. The operation showcased a growing international effort to dismantle the financial infrastructure that underpins drug trafficking, highlighting the critical role of cross-border cooperation in cutting criminal profits at the source. Europol has noted that such collaborations are central to ensuring that illicit gains cannot be laundered through legitimate markets, illustrating a shared commitment across Europe to curb drug violence and corruption while strengthening financial intelligence exchanges between the participating agencies.