Money laundering network smashed: An international success
In June 2023, Switzerland joined forces with two neighbouring countries to send a strong signal to organised crime gangs. Their Joint Investigations Team (JIT) uncovered a complex network that had been involved for years in smuggling valuable metals and luxury goods, as well as money laundering.
It all started unremarkably: in 2019, fedpol received a police enquiry about a vehicle registered in the Canton of Zurich. What was odd was that two neighbouring countries made the same request at the same time. The owner of the vehicle had met with people for a handover – believed to be millions in cash. The police suspected possible links to the powerful ‘Ndrangheta.
The investigation led right across Europe. Switzerland and its partners joined forces to form a JIT. After years of investigation, suspicions of a network of criminals were confirmed. Specialising in the smuggling of valuable metals, luxury goods and cash, the network was involved in extensive money laundering operations.
In June 2023, after months of careful planning and coordination, the JIT finally reached a milestone: a coordinated operation in three countries – over 150 police forces deployed.
In Switzerland, searches were carried out in several cantons, and two people suspected of large-scale money laundering were arrested. At the same time, police raids were carried out in the neighbouring countries, the culmination of intensive surveillance and investigations. In total ten suspects, believed to play a key role in this international network, were arrested.
«The intensive, time-consuming but extremely tense surveillance operations, along with the close cooperation with the countries involved led to this international success. After exchanging information and through working with Europol, further proceedings are underway across Europe targeting the financiers and drug dealers.»
Sandra, white-collar crime investigator
The three countries reveal a complex system. It is thought that the suspects collected large sums of money from criminal gangs and exchanged it for valuable metals and luxury goods. They transported them across borders in vehicles equipped with special hiding places and then flew them out to more distant countries.
The intensive international investigations showed the JIT that much of the money was likely to come from international drug trafficking.
This operation is a prime example of international co-operation. It illustrates how important such joint-investigation teams are for breaking up internationally active gangs. Collaboration, commitment and modern technologies achieve significant success. The case is both a warning and a glimmer of hope: it shows that criminal networks, however clever and well-organised they may be, are not above the law.