Suspected Swedish money-laundering leader arrested in UAE

A Swedish citizen suspected of leading an international money-laundering gang has been arrested in the United Arab Emirates, Swedish police told SVT. The arrest was carried out in cooperation between the UAE Interior Ministry and Swedish police.

The person was internationally wanted through an Interpol Red Notice over suspicions of money laundering.

“The United Arab Emirates will not be a safe haven for people trying to evade justice,” Brigadier General Abdulaziz Al-Ahmad of the UAE Interior Ministry said, according to the police authority.

Swedish police simultaneously moved against the network in Sweden and arrested six other people.

Gang handled SEK 70 million in ten months

According to the Swedish investigation, the gang handled around SEK 70 million over a ten-month period. The money was allegedly collected from criminal activities and transferred to other criminal actors through cryptocurrency.

By tracing cryptocurrency transactions and analysing digital evidence, police were able to map the network’s activities.

The arrests are part of ongoing international efforts against cross-border organised crime, police said.

The investigation is continuing. Those arrested are suspected of crimes and have not been convicted.