Europol Dismantles €21M Crypto Laundering Network Linked to China and Middle East
European authorities have disrupted a sophisticated cryptocurrency money laundering operation that processed over €21 million for organized crime groups spanning China and the Middle East. The network, described by Europol as one of the most significant in this criminal domain, utilized a hybrid system combining traditional hawala transfers with digital asset exchanges.
Seventeen suspects were arrested across Spain, Belgium, and Austria following a coordinated January operation. The ring allegedly provided parallel banking services to drug traffickers and migrant smugglers, offering cash courier services and crypto-to-fiat conversion channels that circumvented regulated financial systems.