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The Civil Guard has dismantled a criminal organization specializing in laundering money obtained from scams committed both in Spain and abroad. The operation resulted in the arrest of 20 people and the investigation of 11 others as alleged perpetrators of crimes including fraud, money laundering, document forgery, identity theft, and membership in a criminal organization.

During the searches, authorities seized counterfeit identity documents and passports, mobile phones, SIM cards, cash, jewelry, bank documents, and extensive documentation related to money laundering. Investigators also located more than 400 documents used to send money.

So far, the investigation has identified more than 200 victims spread across different Spanish provinces.

The investigation began after several money transfers linked to fraud were detected in Miranda de Ebro (Burgos). Initial inquiries revealed that a large portion of these funds were being sent from various municipalities in Bizkaia to Nigeria, uncovering a well-structured organization designed to conceal the illicit origin of the money.

Investigators have confirmed that the organization made more than 9,200 money transfers, totaling over four million euros, originating from various types of fraud, such as CEO fraud, man-in-the-middle fraud , the so-called “family in distress” scam, and other scams committed via the Internet.

“Smurfing” technique

To evade anti-money laundering controls, members of the organization resorted to “smurfing,” a technique that involves dividing large sums of money into numerous small transfers made by different people. They also used forged identity documents and passports, as well as stolen identities, to open bank accounts and make the transfers, making them appear legitimate.

The operation unfolded in two phases. The first involved four raids on residences in Bilbao, Basauri, and Santurtzi, where the organization’s leaders were arrested. Subsequently, six money transfer businesses in Bilbao were targeted, where various irregularities were detected related to the processing of transfers and the use of falsified documents.