Europol supported the takedown of a criminal parallel banking organisation with multiple branches spread out across Europe. The action day conducted on 14 January 2025 across Austria, Belgium and Spain constitutes a direct follow-up to two successful operations against migrant smugglers (as reported on 4 July 2023 and as 13 August 2023). A total of 17 individuals were arrested (15 in Spain, 1 in Austria, 1 in Belgium). A large amount of criminal assets worth over EUR 4.5 million, 4 shotguns and several electronic devices were seized.

The 17 individuals arrested are mostly of Chinese and Syrian nationality and are suspected of providing primarily money laundering services to criminals. This encompasses parallel banking services, illegal hawala banking, cash collection, cash courier services and the exchange of cryptocurrencies for cash. The money launderers were operational in at least two branches: one that catered largely to the Arabic-speaking criminal world and the other to criminal networks originating from China.
Money laundering services offered to other criminal networks

Investigators consider the dismantled criminal network one of the most significant in this crime area. It provided money laundering and related services to other criminal networks engaged in migrant smuggling and drug trafficking. It is believed that over EUR 21 million were moved by the criminal network. Advertising on social media, they reached a varied and international clientele. Apart from arresting 17 individuals, law enforcement seized criminal assets worth over EUR 4.5 million.

The seizures include:

EUR 206 000 in cash
EUR 421 000 in 77 bank accounts
EUR 183 000 in cryptocurrency
10 real estate items worth over EUR 2.5 million
18 vehicles worth over EUR 207 000
4 shotguns and ammunition
Phones and other devices
Luxury consumables, watches, accessories, and jewellery

Europol’s involvement

Following up on the successes in taking down the migrant smugglers who relied on this criminal network’s illicit banking services, national investigators and Europol’s experts in financial crime jointly picked up a new trail. Examining the migrant smugglers’ phones, leads to the criminal network laundering illicit proceeds were found, thus kicking off this new investigation.

On the action day, Europol financed three Spanish investigators to travel to Belgium and Austria. Additionally, two Europol experts travelled to Austria and Belgium to provide support on the ground, while two more Europol experts were deployed to Spain.