The Belgian Federal Judicial Police and Spanish National Police, with support from Europol, have arrested an individual suspected of running an operation to launder millions in illicit drug trafficking proceeds. The arrest was made in Spain. The authorities also brought in a co-conspirator of the suspect for questioning, seizing four firearms at the suspects’ homes.
The investigation, which ran for over 2 years, saw authorities seizing criminal assets worth over €2.3 million ($2.35m). The suspect’s crime group allegedly provided money laundering services to drug trafficking organizations, helping them conceal the nature, origin, and beneficial ownership of the illicit funds.
Members of the crime group collected the illicit funds in Belgium. Thereafter, they converted the funds into assets elsewhere in Europe by purchasing luxury vehicles (over €100,000, or $102,130 in price). Finally, they exported the luxury vehicles to other countries.
Source: Europol
