Italian police said on Wednesday (September 25) that they have arrested 61 people in four countries and seized 60 million euros (approximately 67.1 million US dollars) following an investigation into international drug trafficking and money laundering activities.
According to authorities, this case has revealed the drug crime connections between Albania and Latin America, highlighting once again how European criminals utilize illegal Chinese funds through shadow networks to carry out their illicit activities.
The financial police in the northern Italian city of Brescia stated that a total of 400 officers conducted arrests and searches in Italy, Albania, Switzerland, and Poland, with the cooperation of local enforcement agencies and the European police organization.
The criminal organization, based in Albania, was reportedly trafficking cocaine from South America to Europe through commercial transportation routes, and then further distributing it in Italy via trucks.
The proceeds from drug sales were handed over to a parallel Chinese group, allegedly providing shadow banking services to launder illegal funds abroad.
In a statement, the police said, “The drug proceeds flowed through a complex money laundering system involving a Chinese citizen residing near Brescia, aiming to monetize false invoices issued by compliant Italian entrepreneurs.”
Wednesday’s case is just the latest in a series of several cases uncovered in the past two years, revealing the intricate shadow banking systems operated by Chinese citizens and exploited by various criminal organizations.
Based on various investigations conducted so far, drug traffickers utilize this system to make payments to overseas suppliers and launder money through fake invoices.
Authorities revealed that in 2020, they initiated the latest investigation utilizing tools capable of intercepting and monitoring encrypted chat content, phone calls, environments, and remote information.
In addition to Wednesday’s arrest operation, over the past few months, 21 individuals were detained during the investigation process, resulting in the seizure of 2.5 million euros in cash and 360 kilograms (794 pounds) of drugs, totaling approximately 30 million euros.
(This article referenced a report from Reuters)