In recent months, the judicial police, together with the European Cybercrime Center (EC3), have participated in an international operation against money laundering, which resulted in the arrest of 1,013 people and the prevention of a loss of 32 million euros.
In a note released this Monday, the Judicial Police (PJ) said that the ‘Money Mule’ operation, called EMMA 9, took place in the months of June, October and November in 26 countries and ‘had the global result of arresting of 1,013 suspects, the identification of more than 10,759 ‘money mules’ and the taking of precautionary measures that made it possible to prevent the loss of 32 million euros.
This operation, which is being carried out for the ninth year in a row, has as its main objective the laundering of money through cash couriers (“money mules”).
In the document released to the media today, the PJ gives high figures arising from the joint international operation, such as the identification of 425 people who are part of the concept of ‘money mules’ and 59 others as mail collectors.
In addition, 93 people were interrogated and charged, 590 bank accounts were identified for illegal transactions, 300 investigations were launched, 377 crime victims were identified and eight suspects were arrested in this context.
According to the Portuguese PJ, the “estimated capital loss is greater than 16,760 euros.
“This campaign aims to raise awareness among the general public that ‘Money Mules’ are people recruited by criminal organizations to withdraw money or carry out illegal money transfers, and that they also become actors and perpetrators of crimes” , the PJ explains.
Source: DN
