Investigations into the group began in 2023 when border police in Spain noticed suspicious trips from their airports transporting large sums of money. The trips to Cyprus by members of the criminal group were used to deliver criminal profits, which were then laundered. Authorities stopped the criminals from travelling and seized more than EUR 1.8 million.

The authorities discovered that the group was running a sophisticated money laundering service for other criminal organisations. The group acted as a financial service to transfer criminal profits internationally. Cryptocurrencies were used to move cash profits between criminal organisations. To dispose of the cash profits, money was transported on commercial flights, mainly to Cyprus, and by public transport to neighbouring countries of Spain. The group was able to carry out four to six money laundering transactions per week.

Running this financial service required a professionally structured organisation consisting of at least 52 members, operating mostly from Spain and Cyprus. The group worked with contacts outside of their organisation to liaise with clients and receive the cash to be laundered. Their contacts are linked to several commercial companies around the world.

As the financial service was used throughout Europe, authorities had to work together to stop the criminal group. An international investigation was launched by setting up a joint investigation team (JIT) at Eurojust between Spanish, Cypriot and German authorities, Eurojust and Europol. Through the JIT, information from tax and judicial authorities was exchanged that led to the takedown of the criminal group. Europol supported this international operation with experts specialised in financial crime, fighting high-risk criminal networks, unravelling money laundering structures, and tracing cryptocurrency flows.

A series of actions were carried out to stop the financial service. In October 2024, actions were carried out in Spain, France and Cyprus to dismantle the criminal group. This was followed by actions in November 2024 that targeted actors working with the criminal group. A total of 91 searches were carried out, 77 in Spain, 1 in France and 13 in Cyprus. Twenty suspects were arrested in Spain, one in France and two in Slovenia. Authorities seized a total of EUR 8 million in cash, 2 million in bank accounts and froze EUR 27 million in cryptocurrency. Investigations into the group and its financial service continue.

The following authorities were involved in the actions:

• Spain: Investigating Judge no 2 of El Prat de Llobregat; Public Prosecution Office of Barcelona; Guardia Civil Special Central Unit 3, Destabilizing Threat Group-UCO
• Cyprus: Attorney General’s Office; MOKAS (Unit for Combating Money Laundering); Criminal Investigation Department (CID) (in collaboration with other police departments)
• Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office, Landshut; Customs Investigation Office, München
• France: Judicial Court of Marseille, Interregional Specialised Jurisdiction against organised crime (JIRS) ; National Anti-Fraud Office (ONAF), Marseille/Nice.