Dismantled a criminal organization of professional money launderers that served other criminal groups
They bleached more than 70 million euros to Asian and Colombian criminal organizations, charging for their services a commission of between 10 and 15 percent
Within the framework of this operation, 28 people have been arrested, 22 of them in Spain and six in the Netherlands, and 19 commercial companies are investigated. In addition, seven firearms, 100 vehicles have been intervened and more than 70 real estate and banking products have been blocked
The investigation has allowed to relate the intervention of more than 5,000 kilos of cocaine in Holland with some of the investigated
National Police and Civil Guard agents have broken up a criminal organization based in the provinces of Madrid and Toledo dedicated to money laundering. This organization provided its services to other criminal groups, both Asians – dedicated to fraud against public finances – and Colombians – dedicated to international drug trafficking – who were charged for their services a commission of between 10 and 15 percent. Bleached money exceeds 70 million euros. Within the framework of this operation, 28 people have been arrested, 22 of them in Spain and six in the Netherlands, and 19 commercial companies are investigated. In addition, seven firearms, 100 vehicles have been intervened and more than 70 real estate and banking products have been blocked. The research has also allowed the intervention of more than 5,000 kilos of cocaine in the Netherlands to be linked to some of those investigated.
The investigation began in mid-2017, following the documentation intervened in other money laundering operations by criminal organizations. The dismantled organization was made up of professional whiteners dedicated exclusively to this work, and offered their services in exchange for important commissions of between 10% and 15%. The “clients” were criminal organizations with the need to introduce the money they had obtained through their illegal activities into the legal economic circuit – as in the case of Colombian drug trafficking organizations – or, for the evasion of money destined for their countries of origin by Asian organizations.
The respondents had constituted a large number of companies with very diverse social objects, such as export-import, real estate management or sale of gold and other precious metals such as silver or platinum. These companies were in the name of frontmen who lent their identity in exchange for money, thus having bank accounts in various entities with which to operate.
More than 60 million euros to Asian countries
In the case of organizations of Asian origin, who wanted to evade money outside Spain and avoid paying taxes, the researchers highlighted three phases until the money was mainly placed in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The first phase consisted of receiving the money; The businessmen of Asian origin contacted the organization, delivering the cash for their referral to their countries of origin. Subsequently, the bleachers contacted various recipients and small criminals from whom they acquired jewels, from home robberies, with money to be laundered. These jewels were cast in bullion, and these, sold to companies of wholesalers of the sector that paid the money by means of bank transfers. Through this system of purchase and melting of gold, the dismantled organization would have acquired more than 2,000 kilos of gold in the black market, coming from robberies with force.
The second phase was the blurring between the companies with the execution of continuous transfers between their own companies, simulating commercial operations through false invoicing in order to hide the origin and hinder the traceability of the movements. The last phase consisted of issuing international transfers, allocating the money that had circulated through several companies of the organization to one of the companies whose corporate purpose was import and export. With the latter, they simulated commercial merchandise acquisition operations with the countries where the money was to be placed. When the money laundering prevention services of the issuing banks required justification of these movements, they provided counterfeit contracts and invoices ad hoc For this justification.
Private loans and commercial simulations
Another of the procedures detected to launder money consisted of the granting of loans, a procedure mainly used with an organization of drug traffickers of Colombian origin. The investigated organization simulated credit-loan operations that were formalized in private contracts between companies managed by the bleach organization and those of drug traffickers. When ordering the return or early cancellation receipts, these loans were never returned.
Agents also detected the simulation of commercial operations. The bleachers, after receiving the money and circulating it among their companies, transferred it to the companies of the "customers", justifying it, falsely, as the payment of services or acquisition of goods. The merchant “customer” then acquired real estate.
More than 5,000 kilos of cocaine intervened in the Netherlands
The investigation revealed that the disjointed organization contacted people of Colombian origin – mainly residents of the Netherlands – from whom it received large amounts of cash. More than two million euros from this group were laundered to be subsequently invested in the real estate market of Madrid and Toledo. This Colombian group is related to the intervention, by the Belgian and Dutch police, of more than 5,000 kilograms of cocaine that they intended to introduce into that country, one of the leaders of the group being arrested and the rest fleeing to Colombia. During the investigation, relevant information was obtained that was made available to the Dutch police to continue the investigation related to the apprehension of the drug.
In the 25 records practiced, more than 70,000 euros have been found in cash, jewelry, precious material, seven long firearms, and 100 vehicles. More than 70 properties acquired by the organization and all its banking products have also been blocked. Likewise, more than 140 telephone terminals and various computer equipment that researchers are analyzing have been intervened.
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