Spanish law enforcement agencies have seized nearly seven million euros in cash as part of an operation this Monday targeting a money-laundering network. The group allegedly moved funds through the import of goods from China, later distributing and selling them across several European countries.
Investigators informed EFE that the operation concluded with 13 arrests, the questioning of five more individuals, and the seizure of thirteen high-end vehicles. The cash seizure followed 54 searches conducted at homes and business sites connected to the network.
In total, 1.5 million euros were recovered during these searches, adding to more than five million euros previously reported by the authorities the same afternoon. The operation, named Guanxi after the Chinese term describing mutual interest and benefit, extended its reach to the provinces of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Castellón, Alicante, Málaga, Albacete, Cuenca, Toledo, and Valladolid.
The investigation, led by the Central Operations Unit and the Tax Agency, spanned over two years. It centered on exposing the criminal organization’s system for centralizing, arranging, managing, and transporting large cash sums, which was organized into multiple subgroups.
Some members handled a corporate network devoted to the legitimate import of goods from China for resale across European markets to generate large cash proceeds, while others focused on gathering and safeguarding the money in various storage facilities.
Sources indicated, as seen in the Guardia Civil footage, that the members employed several security measures to protect their operations. For instance, in cash deliveries, both the sender and recipient carried half of a single banknote, ensuring the agreed amount was only handed over if both parties were in agreement.
After settlements, the funds were moved abroad either to launder them for profit or to transfer them to other individuals or international criminal networks to finance illicit activities. The operation used two main cash extraction routes: a land channel with an estimated cadence of two million euros per week and an air channel with more than one million euros weekly.
Typical shipments ranged from 10,000 to 100,000 euros each, with some approaching half a million, according to the sources. Investigators estimate that the network laundered roughly three million euros every week through these transfers.
The operation, overseen by the Court of Instruction No. 2 in Tarancón (Cuenca) and executed by the Economic and Anti-Corruption Investigation Department of the Central Operations Unit, has international implications. The gang maintained subsidiaries in other European countries to funnel funds for laundering purposes.
Eurojust played a pivotal role in the operation, enabling a swift exchange of information among tax and judicial authorities across the involved nations. This collaboration underscored the cross-border dimension of the scheme and the coordinated response required to dismantle it.