A criminal association, aimed at the self-laundering of large sums of money, was discovered by the yellow flames of the 2nd Metropolitan Operational Unit of Cagliari. The investigations were triggered after the report by a credit institution regarding a payment agency in Quartu Sant'Elena managed by a foreign citizen.

From what emerged through the analysis of the transactions, it appeared that the man had not fully identified the clientele: he had indicated, as senders, unsuspecting customers of the business who had turned to the professional for other services offered, such as a photocopy of the identity document for private needs.

The financials, however, have extended control to the entire circuit of money transfer agents who report to the same payment institution under foreign law through which the payment agency operated.

Local searches were then carried out both at the agency's headquarters in Milan and at the home of its contact person for Italy, resident in Rome.

There was also the presence of a further 15 payment agents scattered throughout the national territory, where the same criticalities as the Cagliari agency were found; in some cases, the inspected subjects were not even employees of the money transfer nor qualified to carry out the activity of paying agent.

All the persons checked were referred to the judicial authority for self-laundering and criminal association.

Finance was also delegated to execute a preventive seizure decree against the association for over 51 million euros, also implemented through international cooperation instruments.

(Unioneonline / ss)

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