Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
Police raided an EXTORTION call center operating from a Benissa Villa.
As authorities broke up a large criminal operation, 73 people were arrested. 64 of them in Valencia. Seven in Benissa. And two more in Tarrassa (Barcelona).
The Policia Nacional searched 22 properties simultaneously.
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The gang is estimated to have made €2 million by contacting users of a bogus dating website and running other phone scams.
Over 2,000 people were allegedly threatened by an assassin if they didn’t pay to access the portal.
In Valencia, the gangleader’s mother’s money was laundered through bogus hairdressers and companies.
The crew ran another mass scam by calling people and pretending that their children were in trouble and needed large cash transfers.
The Policia Nacional probe started after a man complained about being extorted to the tune of €6,000 by various hitmen.
After contacting the woman on the dating site, the man began to receive threats from the man who claimed he was in charge of females.
He warned him the boss would be very angry with him because he had wasted their time. They were also going to come after him in order to pay a debt.
He sent him photos and videos of violent assaults including amputations to give him more credibility to the threats.
The criminal gang made threats on over 500 mobile phone ‘burner’ numbers.
They also employed a network of paid ‘mules’ who were paid €50 to open online bank accounts used for cash transfers by victims.
Policia Nacional stated that the gangleader owned four properties used to sell drugs.
Seven of the detainees were imprisoned, and approximately €250,000 was seized—€60,000 of which was in cryptocurrency—along with firearms and machetes, various narcotics, computer equipment, 90 mobile devices, six cars, and documentation related to the criminal activity.
Three homes valued at €270,000, 129 bank accounts, and more than 20 vehicles have been impounded.
