Spanish Police Accuse Illegal Drug Vendor of Laundering $3.3M Haul in Crypto
Spanish police arrested 33 suspects during their parallel drug raids. (Wikimedia commons)
Spain’s National Police on Sunday arrested 33 people who allegedly sold illegal medications online and laundered at least part of their €3 million ($3.37 million) profit in virtual currency.
- The busts, conducted against two separate organizations, resulted in the seizure of over 70,000 erectile dysfunction tablets and other drugs that Spain’s health regulators have not approved.
- Police claim that one of the organizations’ vendors moved the drugs from a factory in India through Singapore and the United Kingdom before importing them to a Murica garage for distribution.
- In documenting the suspects’ attempts to cover their digital tracks, police said the “purchase of virtual currency stands out.”
- The Murica organization netted vendors at least 3 million euros, authorities said. They alleged the criminals laundered some of those funds through virtual currency, but did not disclose which cryptocurrency.
Disclosure
The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.