Overview

• Nineteen individuals were arrested and six more are under investigation, with eight Córdoba-based firms implicated on charges of money laundering and criminal organization membership.
• Raids across Córdoba, Madrid, Salamanca, Zamora and Seville yielded €615,935 in cash, 12.5 kilograms of gold, 15.2 kilograms of silver, firearms and vehicles with hidden compartments.
• Investigators estimate the network handled up to €400,000 daily in illicit funds through purchase and sale of irregular gold and silver, amounting to roughly €146 million annually.
• Proceeds traced from drug trafficking, violent crimes and alleged tax fraud by Asian businesses were converted into precious metals in Córdoba before being routed to jurisdictions with limited cooperation, notably China.
• Córdoba’s Economic Crimes Unit led the probe with support from UOPJ Andalucía and the UCO’s narcotrafficking money laundering team, and authorities say the investigation remains active with further arrests possible.