Europol backs a Spanish crackdown on a money-laundering ring exploiting Ukrainian women, with 12 arrests and exposing links between sexual exploitation and organised financial crime

The investigation led to 12 arrests in Spain (eight in Alicante and four in Valencia), nine property searches, and the identification of 55 victims. The group allegedly recruited and controlled Ukrainian women, forcing them into prostitution while laundering the illicit profits through a network of bank accounts and financial channels, highlighting the close links between human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and organised money-laundering operations…