Europol arrested 108 individuals on suspicion of being involved in an international investment scam.The organized crime gang ran an international call center operation with 200 fake traders who promised prospective victims lucrative investment opportunities.
The crime group consisted of English, Russian, Polish, and Hindi speakers, suggesting the nationalities of the suspects. The English-speaking suspects potentially targeted victims in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland, according to Irish Garda National Economic Crime Bureau detective Superintendent Michael Cryan.
Europol says the suspects defrauded victims by tricking them to invest in Bitcoin, commodities, and foreign currencies.
The police raids involved hundreds of law enforcement officers from Europol, the Latvian State Police (Valsts policija), and the Lithuanian Police (Lietuvos Policija). The European Financial and Economic Crime Centre and European Cybercrime Centre also participated in the March 24-25 operation. Eurojust was involved in setting up an investigating team and executing a European Investigation Order.
The raid targeted three call centers in the two Baltic states, with 80 miscreants arrested in Riga, Latvia, and 28 in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Investment scam suspects made millions per month by defrauding unsuspecting investors.
Law enforcement officers seized cash, bank accounts, luxury vehicles, and €95,000 in cryptocurrencies during the raid.
“According to preliminary calculations, the…
