EU seizes assets worth €1 million in money laundering case involving gold bars - Eurojust

Law enforcement agencies of France and Italy, coordinated by Eurojust and supported by Europol, seized assets worth 1 million euros as part of an investigation into an international criminal network that laundered money from drug trafficking through gold bars. The investigation was conducted jointly with law enforcement agencies of partially recognized Kosovo, reports UNN citing Eurojust.

Details

According to the investigation, the international criminal network created a complex money laundering scheme. Illegal proceeds from drug trafficking in France were collected in a house in Italy and converted into gold bars. This made it possible to conceal the illegal origin of the funds and easily transport them to other countries, including Kosovo, Turkey and Morocco

In total, over 10 months, the criminals "laundered" at least 18 million euros.

Currently, an investigation is ongoing in Italy into a married couple who organized this money laundering operation. They were arrested in September 2025 in France - then law enforcement officers discovered over 50 kilograms of gold bars hidden in a secret compartment of a car.

After analyzing the seized materials and additional information received from Kosovo authorities, additional bank accounts, business interests, real estate and expensive cars were identified. All of this belonged to a Kosovar married couple living in Italy.

Recall

Former high-ranking employee of the US Central Intelligence Agency David Rush has been charged with embezzlement of state funds. This happened after about 300 gold bars worth over 40 million dollars were found in his home.