Police swoop on Marbella FC as 11 arrested in €30 million Russian mafia sting

RTV Marbella Twitter & Guardia Civil

Raid at Marbella FC. Just some of the firearms recovered (inset)

MORE than 100 Guardia Civil officers were involved in a series of raids across Malaga Province which saw the arrest of 11 Russians including the multi-billionaire president of Marbella FC.

The action was taken against suspected members of a Russian mafia group and officers believe that between them, those arrested have been involved in the laundering of more than €30 million in Spain alone.

Thanks to information received from Europol, officers concentrated on three companies which had allegedly received significant investment from criminals and these were identified as Marbella FC football club, Aguas Sierra de Mijas and Dame de Noche golf club in Marbella.

Amongst those arrested and accused of being members of the criminal gang were Alexander Grinberg, president and German Pastushenko vice president of the football club as well as directors of the other companies under investigation.

According to the Guardia Civil, the entire operation was directed by criminal masterminds in the Russian Federation with one of them, said to be wanted by the FBI for involvement in a US fraud believed to be worth €150 million.

Following the raids on 18 properties, both commercial and private, large amount of cash, computer hardware, mobile phones, documentation and 23 vehicles were seized, as well as a significant number of firearms.

All are due to appear in court in Marbella this Friday.

Written by

John Smith

Married to Ophelia in Gibraltar in 1978, John has spent much of his life travelling on security print and minting business and visited every continent except Antarctica. Having retired several years ago, the couple moved to their house in Estepona and John became a regular news writer for the EWN Media Group taking particular interest in Finance, Gibraltar and Costa del Sol Social Scene. Currently he is acting as Editorial Consultant for the paper helping to shape its future development. Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews

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