An international network accused of laundering cocaine profits for Italian organised crime has been dismantled after investigators tracked suspicious money movements across Europe.
The investigation, led by the French National Gendarmerie with Italian and Swiss authorities, uncovered a laundering system serving members of the Camorra and the ’Ndrangheta, Europol announced on Thursday.
The group allegedly used shell companies, false invoicing and luxury investments to clean and reinvest millions of euros in drug proceeds across Europe.
Following financial flows, investigators identified a Montenegrin national described as a Europol “high-value target” who was wanted by several European countries.
The suspect had been living in the Cannes area in France with close family members, including an Italian son-in-law known to Italian authorities for money laundering, fraud and weapons offences.
Arrests and seizures across Europe
Authorities carried out coordinated arrests and searches on 23 February in France, Italy, Belgium and Switzerland, with seven suspects arrested — four in France and three in Italy — including the Montenegrin suspect, Europol said.
On the French Riviera, investigators seized luxury vehicles and high-end properties worth more than €5 million, while additional companies and assets were seized in Switzerland and Italy.
The financial investigation also found links to large-scale cocaine trafficking from South America into Europe.
The group is suspected of coordinating maritime shipments into Europe’s main ports, and a major cocaine seizure by Belgian customs in late 2025 was linked to the Montenegrin suspect.
Investigators said the network used crypto-assets — digital currencies such as cryptocurrencies — alongside weekly cross-border travel in luxury vehicles fitted with concealed compartments, and operated through a corporate structure spanning multiple jurisdictions.
