The largest operation in 10 years was carried out in Spain, among detained Ukrainians

In Spain, a criminal network invested money taken from Russia in properties on the coast. The attackers tried to penetrate the Spanish public sector through bribery.

On Wednesday December 16, the Spanish police arrested 23 people in an operation carried out jointly with Europol, suspected of money laundering associated with organized Russian criminal groups. This is stated in an official statement on the website of the Spanish police.

The deactivated network “planned to take control of key sectors of the Spanish economy and infiltrate government offices, enlisting the help of lawyers, government officials, politicians, businessmen and hackers,” police said. The group, tracked down by police in 2013, controlled nightclubs, restaurants and real estate on the Spanish coast. In addition, the gang members spent large sums on bribes to infiltrate Spanish structures.

Among the detainees there are eight Russian citizens, two Ukrainians, one from Kazakhstan and one from Algeria, 11 citizens of Spain. The police call it the largest operation against the Eastern European mafia carried out in Spain in the last 10 years. During the raids, 300 thousand euros in cash, diamonds, electronic wallets with cryptocurrencies were seized. Among the crimes in which the network is involved, the police cite murders, human trafficking, drugs and weapons.

We will remember, in the spring in Spain, a Ukrainian was arrested for kidnapping a television presenter. In Ukraine, a man is charged with robbery, vandalism, vehicle theft and kidnapping.

And in November, a Ukrainian blogger was arrested in Indonesia at the request of the Russian Federation. He received Ukrainian citizenship, and before that, according to the law, he renounced Russian citizenship.

News of Correspondent.net on Telegram. Subscribe to our channel https://t.me/korrespondentnet