Spanish police spend $ 115,000 on crypto-surveillance technology to combat drug trafficking
The Spanish police force has announced that it will invest in technological platforms that will help officers catch drug smugglers who use cryptocurrencies.
According to El Español, officers patrolling the Strait of Gibraltar – the waters that wash over Morocco, Spain and Gibraltar – have spent almost $ 115,000 on two blockchain analysis solutions. They believe these tools will allow them to track cryptocurrencies they say are being used to fund drug deals.
Police claim that criminals use crypto in an attempt to anonymize transactions or make them more difficult to track.
The police’s expenditure register shows that officials consider that the solutions will help investigators who “analyze electronic evidence related to criminal acts”.
The Ministry of the Interiormeanwhile, says they believe it is “necessary” to “continuously update” police technology systems – a hint perhaps that police may look to spend more on crypto-surveillance tools in the future.
Last month, a major police operation struck two crime rings that had smuggled tons of marijuana and cocaine across the strait – and covered their tracks by hiding shipments in boxes of tomatoes, watermelons and melons.
The AP, via ABC News, reported that the police found evidence that gangs had “paid” corrupt “police and customs officers” to let the shipments enter Spain. More than 60 people, including several police officers, were arrested in 34 raids.
Officers say some of the payments to corrupt officials may have been made in crypto, or that money laundered through crypto transactions was later used to pay for bribes. Police also added that they are still “looking for new tools” that officers can use to “track” drug-related transactions.
Another drug cartel – which was attacked in February this year – was found to have tried to use crypto to launder money it had collected from drug deals.
But officers have found themselves struggling to track crypto-related drug deals and – crucially – prove that suspicious-looking crypto wallets actually belong to drug dealers.
A police unit lamented that it was “virtually impossible to produce high-quality reports” without the kind of solutions the force has just spent $ 115,000 on.
Law enforcement agencies have also indicated that they will look to train their officers in crypto-related cases. They were quoted as saying that officers must have “advanced knowledge of the way cryptocurrencies are used in money laundering processes.”
Officers will also be instructed on how to “recover and deal with” crypto used in crime – and that police will support state “regulations that promote transparency” in the crypto industry.
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