Spain dismantles two criminal organizations that smuggled hundreds of Chinese nationals – Eurasia Review

Europol said it supported the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) in dismantling two criminal organizations that were smuggling hundreds of Chinese nationals using various fraudulent methods.

According to Spanish authorities, criminal networks smuggled more than 1,000 victims, most of whom were then sexually exploited. These networks are believed to have earned 5 million euros from their criminal activities, Europol said.

According to Europol, such a complex investigation had to be carried out in two phases: in the first, Spanish law enforcement authorities arrested 35 suspects for belonging to a criminal organization, facilitating illegal immigration and falsifying documents . Following these arrests, Spanish police arrested 34 other suspects for allegedly issuing fraudulent documents to facilitate the legalization of migrants.

As a result of the operation, Europol said 69 arrests were made, along with 7 luxury vehicles seized and 80,000 euros in cash, as well as various electronic devices and documents.

Europol said it provided operational analysis support throughout the investigation and, on the day of the action, deployed an analyst on site to Toledo, Spain, to provide on-site assistance and expertise. forensic.

From fake employment contracts to fake marriages

The investigation revealed that the two dismantled organizations were established in Guadalajara, Madrid and Toledo (Spain), but had branches scattered throughout Spain, including in Barcelona, ​​La Coruña, San Sebastian, Seville and Valencia . They carried out their criminal activities independently, although they sometimes cooperated when necessary.

Europol said criminal organizations provided victims with fraudulent employment contracts and false registrations in municipalities where they had never lived in order to obtain legal status in Spain. They even arranged mock marriages and provided advice on how to ace interviews during application procedures.

Several law firms collaborated with the criminals by helping them draft false documents. These companies received between 500 and 1,000 euros in exchange for each victim.

Links to Europe's largest Chinese prostitution ring

The case is linked to a task force operation that Europol has supported since 2020 and which led to the dismantling of the largest Chinese criminal network in Europe involved in human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

The case is also linked to an operation targeting a criminal organization trafficking in human beings for the purposes of sexual and economic exploitation in Mallorca (Spain). The operation took place in March 2024 and resulted in 17 arrests and the protection of 13 victims.