Eight people have been arrested by National Police for money laundering in connection with drugs trafficking. Their primary activity was the marine transportation of hashish from Morocco to the Spanish mainland. The searches and arrests occurred in Malaga and Melilla.

The operation ended with the seizure of 350,000 euros in cash, vehicles, and technological gadgets, as well as the freezing of over 250,000 euros in bank accounts. The organisation’s financial collapse has resulted in its complete disintegration.

The study was carried out at different stages. The first stage involved determining how the organisation’s chief and another member were travelling to the province of Almeria to prepare for a narcotics shipment. At that point, the authorities had detained five people and recovered 1,500 kilos of hashish.

The police operation recovered GPS gadgets, navigation devices, satellite phones, guns, and two vehicles as evidence of drug trafficking. Following the searches in Malaga and Almeria, all of the organisation’s members were detained.

Because of the quantity of narcotic substances discovered in a single shipment, the Malaga provincial police headquarters launched an asset investigation, revealing that there was a branch inside this network committed to money laundering.

Melilla-based branch, led by women

The money laundering section was situated in Melilla and was run by the partners of the organisation’s two major members. They had established a food and beverage retail company, which they exploited for years to funnel significant sums of money from drug trafficking. Investigators discovered that the corporation had transferred over 1.5 million euros in cash through its bank accounts.

The company initially used the money to establish and grow. Once consolidated, it began to operate autonomously, becoming the engine of money laundering, with funds coming in from multiple bank accounts in instalments and spaced out over time.

The company blended these cash flows with its own operations, concealing their unlawful origin. The corporation made purchases from suppliers, disclosed its operations, paid taxes, and even paid salaries to scheme participants, all to provide credibility to the organisation’s ostensibly legal activities.

Thus, scheme members might receive the funds as if they were entirely legitimate, dissociating them from their criminal origin.

Besides the company’s laundering methods, investigators found that some network members were also doing their own money-laundering activities to buy real estate and vehicles using front men or trusted intermediaries, making real estate purchases with hidden or unrecorded payments, and financing those purchases.

Searches

Following the investigation, eight people were arrested, and eight searches were conducted in Malaga and Melilla homes and businesses. A total of 350,000 euros in cash was seized, along with a vehicle, mobile terminals, and a computer.

Additionally, 12 residences and 13 cars received asset blocks totalling 1,650,000 euros. Accounts totalling more than 250,000 euros have been frozen.

The Guardia Civil has arrested a man and a woman, both 38 years old, for allegedly committing six crimes in Malaga and Alicante using the “hug” approach. After appearing before a judge, they were ordered to be held in custody.

On May 1st in Calpe (Alicante), police from the investigation area of the town’s main post saw a suspicious car driving at a low speed. The vehicle’s occupants were particularly interested in older folks passing through the region.

Given these odd conditions, investigators checked the vehicle’s database and determined it was associated with previous crimes. They then identified the occupants, verifying that each had an arrest warrant for a robbery committed weeks earlier in Marbella, according to a Guardia Civil statement.

Key information concerning the arrest:

A 38-year-old man and woman were arrested for six crimes in Malaga and Alicante.
They employed the hugging approach to perpetrate crimes.
They have been linked to a violent robbery in Marbella.
The embrace technique is a frequent practice among organised crime groups.

A couple arrested for robbery with the hug method

While police were conducting the arrest, it was discovered that the same couple had committed a theft in Calpe, stealing two gold chains from a tourist by fondling and personal contact. A thorough examination linked them to four other similar events since April.

Significant economic damage

Several high-end watches were violently robbed in Jávea, Pilar de la Horadada, and Marbella. Jewellery and watches were also stolen in La Nucía, Calpe, and Pedreguer. The anticipated financial loss surpasses €140,000. Both detainees were taken before Denia Investigating Court No. 2 and sentenced to prison.

Criminal organisations’ methods of operation

The hug method is a popular tactic among organised travel groups.
They prefer elderly persons or those in vulnerable positions as their victims.
They distract their victims with phoney gestures of affection before stealing things.

Auchan, a French retail chain that operates in Spain under the Alcampo brand, has announced its intention to close 25 stores throughout the country, which will result in the loss of 710 jobs.

According to reports, the decision is the consequence of evolving consumer preferences, which have led to an increasing preference for online purchases and smaller stores over traditional large-scale supermarkets.

The company is concentrating its strategy on the expansion of smaller store formats and the reinforcement of its digital retail channels in order to adjust to these changes.

The restrictions are scheduled to occur in 13 regions of Spain, including Madrid, Valencia, Galicia, Navarra, La Rioja, and Asturias.

Approximately 23,300 individuals are presently employed by Auchan in Spain. On May 8, labour unions were informed of the restructuring plan’s specifics during a meeting.

The organisation declared, “It is imperative to achieve sustainable growth and recover results in each and every shop during this transformation process.” This is the reason why Alcampo is implementing a staff modification plan, a decision that is both responsible and essential, despite its difficulty.

Auchan has not yet publicly identified the specific stores that are scheduled for closure, despite the fact that the CCOO trade union in Spain has reported obtaining a list of affected outlets, which includes several of its hypermarkets.

CCOO commented on the circumstance, stating, “This is the entirety of the information that the company has furnished us with.” The subsequent phase of this procedure, which was initiated by Alcampo management, is the establishment of a collective dismissal negotiating committee.

Auchan is required to submit all pertinent documentation during the initial meeting in order for union representatives to evaluate and commence negotiations, according to the union.

The union concluded, “At CCOO, we will confront this challenging situation, which is novel to the company, with the explicit understanding that the primary goal is to preserve employment and, in the event that employees depart, to guarantee that they do so in the most favourable manner possible.”

In late 2018, Auchan made the decision to eliminate over 2,000 positions in France as part of a broader restructuring initiative designed to stimulate development. This announcement is a continuation of that decision.