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Spain Arrests 32 in Bust of ‘Ndrangheta Mafia-Linked Organised Crime Group

Barcelona
Spanish authorities have arrested 32 members of an organised crime group linked to the infamous Italian 'Ndrangheta mafia on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering

In a major bust, Spanish authorities have arrested 32 members of an organised crime group linked to the notorious ‘Ndrangheta mafia of Italy. The group is accused of large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering and is said to have links to cocaine and cannabis trafficking between Spain and Italy. Members of the gang have been described as very violent, with some linked to a number of murders in Italy.

The criminal profits were reportedly reinvested into real estate in Spain to hide their illegal origin and pollute the legal economy. Europol said in a statement that the group used vehicles equipped with hidden compartments and speedboats to transport drugs and seized 18 kilograms of amphetamine, 4.5 kilograms of cocaine, a number of firearms, €300,000 in cash, and 600 cannabis plants in the bust.

Some 40 properties were searched in the coastal Spanish cities of Barcelona, Málaga, and Tenerife. The operation took place on two different days last week on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza and involved 500 law enforcement officers from the Spanish Civil Guard, Italy’s Carabinieri and Guardia de Finanza, supported by the European bodies for police and justice, Europol and Eurojust.

The Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta mafia is considered to be the most important criminal organisation in western Europe, and the group’s members are known to use violence, including torture, to further their criminal goals. The group’s alleged links to drug trafficking and money laundering have made it a top target for law enforcement agencies in Europe.

The 32 suspects arrested in Spain include Italians, Albanians, and Hungarians, and some are linked to a number of murders in Italy, according to Europol. The group’s modus operandi reportedly involved using violence to protect its drug trafficking routes and launder the proceeds through real estate investments in Spain.

The Spanish authorities are likely to continue their investigations into the organised crime group, and the arrests are a significant blow to the ‘Ndrangheta’s operations in Spain and the rest of Europe. The bust is also a reminder of the importance of international cooperation between law enforcement agencies in the fight against organised crime, especially in cases involving transnational criminal networks like the ‘Ndrangheta.

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