Joint operation of the Tax Agency and the National Police

• The detainees concealed the funds resulting from money laundering through the main activity of repair and maintenance of nautical vessels.

• They are charged with money laundering and membership in a criminal organization, in addition to the crimes against public health for which they were previously arrested.

• More than 28,000 euros in cash, two computers, a hard drive and various documents have been seized.

April 30, 2024.- Customs Surveillance officials of the Tax Agency, in a joint operation with the National Police, have dismantled a criminal organization that is believed to have obtained more than 680,000 euros from drug trafficking. The detainees concealed the funds by repairing and maintaining nautical vessels, using bank accounts in Gibraltar from which they subsequently transferred the money to be laundered in Spain.

The criminal activity consisted of the acquisition of boats that were used for drug trafficking and the purchase of high-powered boat engines in Portugal, all of which was concealed by the company's legitimate economic activity. They are charged with money laundering and membership in a criminal organization, in addition to the crime against public health for which they were previously arrested. More than 28,000 euros in cash, two computers, a hard drive and various documents were seized.

The investigation began in 2022 when agents were investigating the commission of a crime against public health due to the seizure in June of 467 kilos of hashish on board a boat. At that time, an investigation into money laundering began regarding members of this criminal organization. During the various investigations, the personal and business assets of the detainees were analyzed, as well as their financial situation. The agents investigated 19 bank accounts where they found sufficient evidence to justify the existence of a money laundering crime.

The money laundered by this criminal organisation and derived from criminal activity amounts to more than 680,000 euros, money that was used for various asset acquisitions, mainly in the nautical sector, by introducing large amounts of cash of unknown origin into the legal financial circuit.

The exploitation phase of the police operation culminated with the arrest of three people and a raid on the headquarters of the alleged company, whose main activity was the repair and maintenance of nautical vessels, located in an industrial estate in San Roque (Cádiz).