The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested 15 people strongly accused of committing the crimes of criminal association, money laundering, qualified fraud and fraud by computer means, involving illicit financial movements in the order of 30 million euros.
According to a statement sent to newsrooms, the PJ explains that the investigation focuses on a transnational criminal organization, managed from abroad, controlled by Angolan and Brazilian citizens. This organization used the national and international banking system to operate successive bank accounts, providing a “laundering service” to other criminal structures.
“By paying a fee that could reach 50% of the amount to be laundered, the organization created chains of cascading accounts, domiciled in several countries and held by different people, ensuring the ‘clean’ return of illicit profits”, details the note.
Of the 30 million euros identified associated with the organization, 2.5 million euros correspond to losses caused to already identified victims and injured parties, the majority of which are companies based in Europe.
As part of the same operation, called “Almocreve”, two people were also arrested in Spain and one in France, in compliance with European arrest warrants.
41 home and non-domestic searches were also carried out in the municipalities of Porto, Castelo de Paiva, Leiria, Entroncamento, Loures, Odivelas, Seixal, Barreiro and Montijo, in which two high-end vehicles, around 220 thousand euros in cash, various documentation related to the facts investigated, computer equipment, bank cards and telecommunications cards were seized. Several bank accounts were also seized.
More than 200 elements of the PJ participated in the operation, also counting on the collaboration of elements highlighted by Europol, with the investigations being monitored by two magistrates from the Public Prosecutor’s Office of DIAP Regional do Porto, responsible for the investigation.
During the operation, a man was also arrested for the crime of drug trafficking and 15 defendants were charged.
The detainees will now be presented to the competent judicial authority, at the Porto Criminal Investigation Court, for the first judicial interrogation and application of coercive measures.
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