Barcelona (Agencies).- Six mafia leaders from various countries in Eastern Europe were arrested in Catalonia, the majority of which were caught along the Tarragona coast. They are accused of the falsification of documents, illicit association, and money laundering, police officials say.
The arrests were made through a joint operation by the Catalan Police (Mossos d’Esquadra) and the National Spanish Police. The detainment follows the infamously titled “Operation Java”, where 24 suspected members of the Russian-Georgian mafia were arrested in various Spanish provinces in March. The operation was coordinated by Judge Fernando Grande-Marlaska of the National Court of Spain, Spain’s high crimes court.
The prisoners are being accused of investing money from organised crime in real estate, restaurants, and business partnerships. Sources have indicated that some of the arrests and police searches were made in the Costa Daurada town of Salou and in the residential neighbourhood or Vilafortuny within the near town of Cambrils.
