Spain's Ministry of Finance reported that the Tax Agency's Customs Surveillance Service, supported by the National Police and Europol, dismantled a network suspected of laundering more than EUR 3 million from international cyberfraud. Nine key suspects were arrested in an operation targeting a scheme that used purchases and exports of legitimate goods to launder proceeds from scams against businesses and individuals in Europe, South America and Asia. The fraud included business email compromise, commercial impersonation and romance scams. Proceeds passed through accounts belonging to shell companies and individuals acting as financial mules, before being split across transfers, foreign currency remittances and cash withdrawals. Exporting companies then used the funds to purchase Spanish wine, industrial machinery and vehicles for shipment to African countries. The network used supplying wineries as the formal customs exporters to separate the entities receiving illicit funds from the physical movement of goods and obscure the money trail. The investigation began in 2025 following a Sepblac intelligence report flagging suspicious transactions through company-linked intermediary accounts. Two suspects, including the alleged recruiter of financial mules, were arrested in Torrelavega, Cantabria, on Aug. 11. Seven further arrests followed in Madrid, Alicante and Tenerife on Oct. 20 and 21. Searches yielded commercial and accounting records, electronic equipment, valuable jewelry and cash.

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