A criminal organization made up of Belgian, Spanish, and Moroccan nationals was dismantled by the Federal Judicial Police of Leuven, along with the Dutch regional police forces of Zeeland-West Brabant and Rotterdam, and the Spanish Guardia Civil. The group laundered a total of 180 million euros from cocaine trafficking. Starting in October 2021, an investigation was launched following decrypting the Sky Ecc network. The organization operated in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, South America, and Dubai, and had set up a complex system to launder their illicit profits generated from smuggling cocaine into the EU through ports and airports. According to Europol, the members of this criminal network were able to launder their funds through real estate projects. In March, five suspects were arrested in Belgium and one in Spain, leading to the seizure of 1.2 million euros in crypto-currencies, three properties, 50,000 euros in cash, a luxury car, several luxury watches and jewelry, 23 phones, three safes, as well as a money counting machine.
The Federal Judicial Police of Leuven in coordination with the Dutch regional police forces of Zeeland-West Brabant and Rotterdam, as well as with the Spanish Guardia Civil succeeded in dismantling a criminal organization composed of Moroccan, Spanish and Belgian nationals. In all, 180 million euros from cocaine trafficking were laundered by this network.
This is the result of an investigation started in October 2021 thanks to the decryption of the Sky Ecc network. This criminal network is active in Belgium but also in the Netherlands, Spain, South America and Dubai. Its members had set up a complex and professional system to launder the illicit profits generated by the importation of cocaine into the EU via ports and airports in real estate projects, says Europol.
To read: How a Moroccan managed to launder several million euros in France
Last March, five suspects were arrested in Belgium and another in Spain. In all, 1.2 million euros in crypto-currencies, three real estates, 50,000 euros in cash, a luxury car, several luxury watches and jewelry, 23 telephones, three safes, as well as a money counting machine were seized.
The dismantling of this criminal organization is a significant victory for law enforcement agencies working tirelessly to combat drug trafficking and money laundering. The professional and complex system used by the group underscores the need for collaboration among police forces and intelligence agencies at both national and international levels to effectively tackle organized crime. The successful use of technology in this case highlights the importance of continuing to develop innovative tools and strategies to disrupt criminal activity. It is hoped that this outcome will serve as a warning to other criminal networks that their activities will not go undetected or unpunished. Overall, the dismantling of this network sends a clear message: criminal activity will not be tolerated, and those responsible will face the full force of the law.
