Spain Dismantles €460 Million Crypto Fraud Ring, Arrests Five
Spanish authorities have cracked down on a sophisticated crypto investment fraud scheme, arresting five individuals linked to laundering €460 million. The operation, supported by Europol and international law enforcement agencies, targeted a criminal network with victims spanning over 5,000 globally.
The arrests—three in the Canary Islands and two in Madrid—unravel part of a broader syndicate. Investigators uncovered a Hong Kong-based business and banking structure used to funnel illicit proceeds through payment gateways and multi-named exchange accounts. "Online fraud is an epidemic affecting EU citizens, businesses and public institutions alike," Europol stated, highlighting the transnational scale of crypto-enabled financial crime.