The National Police reported a large international operation against money laundering that led to the arrest of 52 suspects in Spain. Investigators uncovered a scheme involving money mules and a confiscation of nearly 800 thousand euros across 18 ongoing probes, a figure confirmed by the General Directorate of Security on the day of the announcement.
The coordinated effort, conducted with Europol at the helm and with support from police forces across 25 countries, included collaboration with Eurojust, Interpol and the European Banking Federation. Across the partner countries the scale of the investigation became clear as thousands of individuals were implicated in this web of financial crime. In total, investigators identified 8,755 money mules, 222 recruiters and 4,089 fraudulent transactions, while preventing losses estimated at 17.5 million euros. Authorities also reported 2,469 arrests in 1,648 investigations during the operation. The geographic span of the operation included Spain and a broad set of neighboring and distant countries, highlighting the global reach of criminal networks that rely on money laundering to move illicit gains. This effort drew on the capabilities and resources of law enforcement groups in Europe and beyond, illustrating the multinational nature of modern financial crime as explained by official briefings from Europol and related agencies.
Source attribution: Europol, Interpol, Eurojust and national police services.
The operation shed light on how money mules are used for a wide range of fraud schemes. These scams include frauds based on SIM card exchange, identity theft and phishing, among others, and they underscore the vulnerabilities within financial ecosystems that criminals exploit.
Job offers to attract mules
The activity of the mule and its final aim of moving counterfeit money online often unfolds through wire transfers using a variety of techniques, including phishing, pharming, some forms of malware and CEO fraud. Police notes that these mules act as a bridge, receiving funds and transferring them between bank accounts to help criminals cash out while evading early detection.
Recruitment methods for mules are varied, ranging from direct contact to deceptive emails. Criminals increasingly turn to social media to post fake job opportunities as a lure, offering tempting commissions simply to recruit individuals who will enable access to bank accounts for illicit transfers.
In many cases, mules possess only basic knowledge of the criminal activity they support, or are unaware of the broader money-laundering operation led by the gang. Police emphasize that this dependence on casual participation creates fertile ground for exploitation and rapid expansion of the crime network.