The ‘Evaluation of the threats of serious and organized crime of the EU (Shoes)‘report prepared by the European Union and has revealed that Russia would be using criminal organizations to wash money in return of a safe shelter.
The document indicates how certain “hostile states”, including Russia, outsource Illicit activities such as cyber attacks, misinformation campaigns and money laundering to criminal networks. In return, these bands receive protectionallowing them to operate without fear of being processed.
EURPOL describes these “Shadow alliances” as mutually beneficial for both parties. “Hybrid threat actors cooperate with criminal actors for mutual benefit, taking advantage of the fundsthe experience and the protection of others to achieve their objectives“, explains the report.
This cooperation is not only motivated by financial benefit, but also It allows states to deny their direct participation in these crimesthus hindering the attribution of actions. Its objective would be to destabilize the EU: “This attempt at destabilization can focus on democratic processesthe social coherence Within societies, the Safety sensation or the Rule of law“.
Russia involvement
While the report does not explicitly mention Russiaseveral media in Europe have pointed out that references clearly point to the country. In 2022, The destabilizing operation dismantled Russian money laundering networks that operated for the Kinahan cartela global criminal organization.
These PE networksThey brought Russian oligarchs avoid sanctions through complex schemeswhich included the exchange of cryptocurrencies for cash. In fact, this cartel, linked to the Russian and Iranian regimes, used its drug trafficking routes and weapons in exchange for protection.
The report also indicates that the connections between the Kinahan and Russian go beyond organized crime. It is believed that Russian military intelligence, Gru, supervises cocaine transport Facilitated by the cartel, whose members have been looking for refuge in Russia, with contingency plans if the authorities act against them.
