{"id":157175,"date":"2025-05-16T15:00:43","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T12:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryptodnes.bg\/en\/?p=157175"},"modified":"2025-05-15T15:42:11","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T12:42:11","slug":"european-police-break-up-crypto-backed-criminal-network-in-international-raid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cryptodnes.bg\/en\/european-police-break-up-crypto-backed-criminal-network-in-international-raid\/","title":{"rendered":"European Police Break Up Crypto-Backed Criminal Network in International Raid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Seventeen suspects were <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.europol.europa.eu\/media-press\/newsroom\/news\/17-providers-of-criminal-banking-services-arrested\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">arrested<\/a><\/strong> during coordinated raids in January, though details were only made public today by Europol and Spain\u2019s national police. The group\u2014described by Spanish media as a \u201cmafia crypto bank\u201d\u2014allegedly laundered over \u20ac21 million ($23.5 million) and catered to criminal syndicates in both China and the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>Investigators found that the operation relied heavily on crypto-based money laundering and hawala-style transfers to hide financial activity. It also provided financial infrastructure to traffickers, exchanging large sums of physical cash for digital assets to obscure transaction trails.<\/p>\n<style>\n    .dark-mode .read-more {background-color: #343a40 !important;}\n<\/style>\n<div class=\"read-more pb-3 pt-3 pt-md-2 px-3 my-4 border bg-light\">\n    <h5 class=\"text-uppercase border-bottom mb-3 pb-1 d-none d-md-block\">READ MORE:<\/h5>\n    <a class=\"article row\" href=\"https:\/\/cryptodnes.bg\/en\/standard-chartered-taps-falconx-to-expand-institutional-crypto-access\/\" title=\"Standard Chartered Taps FalconX to Expand Institutional Crypto Access\">\n        <div class=\"contentRight col-4\">\n            <span class=\"imgContainer mt-0\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"image img-defer\" src=\"https:\/\/cryptodnes.bg\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/Standard-Chartered.jpeg\">\n            <\/span>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"contentLeft col-8\">\n            <h4 class=\"title mb-0\">Standard Chartered Taps FalconX to Expand Institutional Crypto Access<\/h4>           \n            \n        <\/div>        \n    <\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p>During the crackdown, authorities seized crypto worth over \u20ac180,000, nearly \u20ac700,000 in fiat, four firearms, luxury goods, and 18 high-end vehicles.<\/p>\n<p>This case follows broader concerns around crypto-fueled crime. Earlier this week, blockchain firm Elliptic exposed an $8.4 billion Chinese Telegram marketplace offering illicit financial services\u2014reportedly tied to funds stolen in a $235 million hack of Indian exchange WazirX and funneled through a company registered in Colorado.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Authorities in Europe have dismantled a major organized crime operation that used cryptocurrency to move tens of millions in illicit funds for drug and human trafficking networks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":81897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-157175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cryptocrime"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.8.1 - 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