Spanish politicians have been accused of helping members of the Russian mafia to launder millions.
Fourteen people were apprehended in Spain and Portugal following a series of raids aimed at a €1 trillion (£828 billion) criminal network involved in money laundering, working in conjunction with gangs across Europe.
The majority of the suspects who were arrested last month are Russian nationals, as per the EU law enforcement agency Europol.
The mafia group reportedly bragged about having contacts with “well-known Spanish politicians” to help their money laundering scheme, according to The Olive Press.
Spain’s National Police described the ring as “a genuine multinational money laundering company”, primarily laundering money derived from illegal drug trafficking and charging a 2-3% commission per transfer.
Nine properties across various Spanish cities and in Lisbon were raided, resulting in the seizure of over €1m (£828,000) in cash and cryptocurrencies.
The gang operated in numerous Spanish cities, with each office processing up to €300,000 (£248,000) daily for Albanian, Serbian, Armenian, Chinese, Ukrainian, and Colombian mafias based within the EU and beyond.
The investigation was initiated in 2023 when police observed that several known members of the Russian mafia were systematically transferring money belonging to foreign nationals in and out of Spain daily.
The gang also explored the possibility of extending their operations to Cuba, with plans to install solar panels to supply energy to the Cuban Government in return for minerals.
In phone conversations with Cuban officials, members of the gang claimed to have strong connections with Spanish political leaders.
Each property raided in Madrid, Malaga, Marbella, Torremolinos, Coin, Ayamonte, and Lisbon had a high-security safe and money-counting machine in a sound-proof Cabinet to mask its distinctive noise.
Gang members frequently changed locations and vehicles to evade detection and used encrypted mobile phones. These phones were interconnected so that if one member was arrested, all the mobiles within the group would lock down simultaneously.
Police have confirmed that the three main culprits remain in custody, and further arrests may be made.
