In a coordinated operation with Europol, national police forces dismantled a criminal network involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. Within a year, they tracked and relocated a staggering 65.5 million euros through the Hawala system, an informal money-transfer network. Authorities detained 27 individuals across multiple cities including Alicante, Barcelona, Madrid, Malaga, Seville, and Valencia.
During the raids, investigators seized 615,000 euros in cash, luxury watches valued at more than 400,000 euros, two high-end vehicles, money counting machines, computer equipment, and encrypted mobile devices. The gang was led by Albanian nationals who channelled illicit funds to support drug trafficking operations and money movements designed to obscure origin and destination. The network used sophisticated methods to hide proceeds and facilitate further crimes, creating a murky loop of cash generation and reinvestment.
Initial reports from crime intelligence, complemented by information from Europol, pointed to a structured organization formed by Albanian nationals primarily involved in narcotics distribution, notably indoor cannabis cultivation. The operation revealed a complex collaboration with Chinese associates, with both groups leveraging mutual benefits to expand the criminal enterprise and maximize gains from illegal activities. This cross-border collaboration highlighted how different ethnic groups could intersect to sustain illicit markets on a continental scale.
large amounts of money
As investigators delved deeper, it became evident that Chinese nationals were delivering large cash sums to legitimate businesses, which then balanced those inflows elsewhere. The ultimate aim appeared to be moving funds back to their country of origin while maintaining oversight through legitimate channels. Albanian hawaladars operated as a de facto banking network, handling transfers and storage of sizable cash proceeds from drug sales and financing new operations. The system relied on rapid, discreet movements that challenged conventional tracking and reporting mechanisms.
At the apex of the organization stood two Albanian leaders, one acting as the principal organizer and the other as a trusted lieutenant and accountant. Since at least 2018, they coordinated with two Chinese associates who managed a broad portfolio of resources across borders. Asian partners supported cash demand from drug-trafficking groups whenever and wherever it arose, creating a resilient supply chain for illicit funds that crossed national lines and legal frameworks.
Operational practices mirrored a banking model in many respects. Businesses involved in the scheme accepted large cash deposits and then used various arrangements to move value, often employing a token-based security approach that created a paper trail of low-denomination bills and counterfeiting-safe indicators. The pattern showed how real-world stores and brokers could function as nodes in an informal but highly organized financial network, complicating enforcement efforts and oversight in multiple jurisdictions.
Multiple deliveries
Between May 2020 and March 2021, investigators documented multiple cash deliveries totaling about 65.5 million euros to Albanian criminal networks operating in the provinces of Barcelona, Malaga, Valencia, Madrid, Seville, and Alicante. The scale of these transfers underscored a deliberate strategy to consolidate resources before dispersing funds toward ongoing trafficking activities and allied operations across regions.
Some detainees linked to the investigation were later connected to a training workshop that proved instrumental in coordinating subsequent visits to a single-family home in Madrid. There, authorities recovered approximately 65 kilograms of marijuana and arrested three individuals. Separately, the investigation identified the head of the Albanian-led faction as a key figure in the alleged kidnapping of a hawala contact, along with accusations of illegal detention, wounding, and weapons possession. These findings painted a broader picture of the network’s willingness to deploy violence to protect, expand, and secure the flow of illicit proceeds.