Police action took place on 28 January against a network of money launderers operating in France and Spain. The action has resulted so far in arrests in Catalonia, Andalusia, Aix en Provence and Perpignan, and the search of business premises, including a brothel in Spain. Numerous documents were also seized during the searches.
The laundered funds were alleged to have been obtained from the sale of vehicles on which VAT was not paid. The vehicles were bought in Germany, Slovenia, Romania and Bulgaria and later sold in France and Italy using a network of companies.
The investigation into the network started in France two years ago and is being carried out by the French police of Toulouse, jointly with the Service National de Douane Judiciaire (SNDJ) Lyon, led by an investigating judge from the Juridictions inter-régionales spécialisées (JIRS) Lyon.
A parallel investigation is being carried out in Spain by the Guardia Civil (Judicial Police) and the Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalonian Police), under the lead of the Investigating Judge nr 1 and the Public Prosecution Office of Tarragona.
Four coordination meetings were subsequently held at Eurojust, during which the concerned parties agreed to set up a joint investigation team (JIT). Eurojust supplied valuable assistance in identifying possible ne bis in idem issues, facilitating the execution of Letters of Request and reaching a common agreement on a joint action day.