Police have dismantled a network alleged to have laundered €60 million of drugs money through fake lottery winnings, with 14 people being arrested and a further 5 charged on suspicion of being involved with the crimes of money laundering, forgery and belonging to a criminal organisation.
The arrests were made in Valencia, Barcelona and Cádiz.
Money from drugs trafficking was being laundered through a number of front companies in real estate, catering and equity investments. Luxury items and property was also bought by the network but the companies could not absorb all the ill-gotten gains and so they began forging winning lottery certificates.