12 members of money laundering scheme exploiting Ukrainian women arrested in Spain
752 Mins Read
An international operation in Spain targeting a money laundering scheme resulted in the arrest of 12 suspects. The disrupted criminal network systematically exploited vulnerable Ukrainian women to open bank accounts, which were used in gaming platforms and to transfer illicit profits.
Authorities estimate that the criminal organisation made a profit of EUR 4.75 million using this method. Spanish authorities, in close cooperation with Ukrainian police, led the operation with support from Europol and INTERPOL.
The operation resulted in the following outcomes:
12 suspects arrested (8 in Alicante and 4 in Valencia)
55 victims identified
9 house searches (6 in Alicante and 3 in Valencia)
8 house searches in Ukraine
88 mobile phones, 20 computers, 500 SIM cards, 4 vehicles and 22 bots seized
EUR 73 000 and USD 4 200 in cash seized
EUR 200 000 in cryptocurrency seized
153 bank accounts in 11 countries frozen, identified or blocked
Trafficking in human beings, money laundering and fraud
The investigation, which focused on several crime areas including trafficking in human beings, money laundering and fraud, spanned two years. It culminated in a coordinated action day in June 2025 in Spain and Ukraine.
Authorities believe that the criminal network, composed of Ukrainian nationals, initially used the personal data of Spanish citizens to open bank accounts. They later changed their approach and began recruiting Ukrainian women who were granted temporary protection status in Spain, exploiting them to open bank accounts to transfer illicit proceeds.
According to Spanish investigators, the victims were in extremely vulnerable situations in areas heavily impacted by the war in Ukraine and were completely under the control of the suspects. Members of the criminal network sent the women to Spain, accompanied them to open bank accounts and returned them to Ukraine shortly afterwards.
Abusing protection status
Using the bank accounts, the suspects obtained numerous credit cards that they linked to online gambling accounts. Some of these accounts were registered using stolen Spanish identities, while others were in the victims’ names. So far, more than 3 000 stolen credit cards and over 5 000 stolen identities from 17 different nationalities have been detected.
To maximise profits, the criminal organisation used computer systems to automate large-scale betting activities. Through this method, the suspects deposited more than EUR 2.7 million in betting accounts and withdrew over EUR 4.7 million.
The criminal group also transferred government subsidies received by the victim due to their refugee status. Parts of the illegally obtained funds were invested in luxury real estate.
Europol’s key role
Europol’s specialists in trafficking in human beings and financial crime played a crucial role during the investigation. They provided operational and analytical support to national authorities and facilitated the exchange of information between them. In addition, a Europol specialist was deployed on the ground on the action day to provide real-time operational support to Policía Nacional.
The following authorities took part in the investigation:
Spain: Policía Nacional
Ukraine: National Police of Ukraine (Migration Police Department, Main Investigative Department)
