Spain's biggest hashish trafficker arrested in Morocco: former Miss Spain's husband laundered money
A UDYCO Central investigation led to the arrest of over 10 people and seizure of 10 tonnes of drugs. The husband of former Miss Spain 2005 managed a shell company for money laundering.
Hashish network dismantled: "Moreno" captured in Morocco, former Miss Spain's husband implicated in money laundering
An investigation by the Central Unit for Drugs and Organised Crime (UDYCO Central) has led to the arrest of over 10 people and the seizure of more than 10 tonnes of drugs, according to mediafax.ro. The capture of the network's leader, nicknamed "Moreno", in Morocco marks the dismantling of the largest hashish distribution organisation in the Iberian Peninsula.
According to judicial reports from UDYCO Central, cited by the newspaper ABC, money laundering from drug trafficking was coordinated by Juan Andrés González Santos, known as "Flaco" — the husband of model Verónica Hidalgo, Miss Spain 2005. González Santos managed the company Artecar Solutions Graficas SL, which was used as the principal vehicle for the whitewashing of illicit funds.
The company paid fictitious salaries to the organisation's leaders from at least 2017 and before 2020 to other members of the gang, providing legal cover for income obtained from drugs. The traffickers requested salary slips and false certificates in order to justify income to institutions or for simulated medical leave.
Interceptions on the encrypted application Sky ECC revealed that González Santos was not limited to laundering money through fictitious invoices — "If you need money, if you want, I'll make you an invoice" — but participated directly in drug buying and selling transactions.
Police reports show that meetings between González Santos and members of the network took place in restaurants, bars or at homes, with no actual commercial activity within the graphics solutions company. In some recordings, the suspects joked about the fictitious employment contracts created exclusively for laundering funds.
Members of the gang maintained apparently neutral discussions on usual platforms such as WhatsApp, reserving encrypted channels for coordinating financial and logistical operations.
Source: Google News RO — Crime (ro)