Spanish Police Detain 23 People For Money Laundering For 'Russian Mafia'

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published December 17, 2020 | 12:08 AM

Police in Spain have detained 23 people who are accused of money laundering for the "Russian mafia," the National Police said on Wednesday

MADRID (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th December, 2020) Police in Spain have detained 23 people who are accused of money laundering for the "Russian mafia," the National Police said on Wednesday.

Police said the operation against the mafia from Eastern Europe is the largest in the last decade due to the high "hierarchical position" of the detainees.

The National Police press office told Sputnik that eight detainees are from Russia, two persons are of Ukrainian origin, one person is from Kazakhstan and from Algeria and the rest are Spaniards.

"The organization planned to control key sectors of the Spanish economy and to infiltrate state institutions, counting on lawyers, officials, businessmen and computer hackers," the press release said.

The investigation began in 2013, when the police detected that the Russian mafia had intensified its activity in Spain, using this country for money laundering by investing money obtained through criminal activity around the world in Spain.

According to the police, to establish contacts and run their business with impunity, the detainees carried out philanthropic activities and once they gained the trust of Spanish officials, they used them to their advantage.

As the police reported, the organizations that laundered money in Spain were engaged in murder, drug, human and weapon trafficking and the seizure of property, and carried out their activities in various countries of Europe, Latin America and the US.

The police carried out 18 searches in Alicante, Madrid, Tarragona and Ibiza, where they seized different weapons, 300,000 euros ($365,600) in cash, cryptocurrency, diamonds, 16 vehicles and blocked numerous bank accounts and assets worth millions of euros.

The operation was conducted jointly by the Interpol and the Spanish Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organized Crime.