The Spanish National Police have arrested eight individuals on charges of laundering money derived from drug trafficking, following operations in Malaga and Melilla. According to Spanish media reports on Monday, the criminal organization was primarily involved in transporting hashish from Morocco to mainland Spain by sea for later distribution. Financial investigations led to the dismantling of the branch responsible for laundering the proceeds. Authorities seized €350,000 in cash, several vehicles and electronic devices, and froze over €250,000 in bank accounts. The investigation began with the drug unit of the Malaga police, who tracked the organization's leader and an associate to Almeria, where they were preparing a smuggling operation. Five individuals were arrested, and 1,500 kilograms of hashish were seized in a joint effort with the Civil Guard. Police also confiscated equipment related to drug trafficking, including GPS devices, mobile phones, a firearm, and two vehicles. Following the raids in Málaga and Almería, all members of the network were taken into custody. The money laundering arm of the organization was based in Melilla and led by the wives of the group's two main leaders. The women had established a food and beverage company that was used over the years to launder large sums of money from drug profits. Investigators found that the company had moved more than €1.5 million through its bank accounts.
