A man, his wife and his sister have had their convictions upheld for laundering more than €543,000 in drug money through property, luxury cars and expensive watches.
Andalucia’s High Court rejected appeals filed by the three relatives and confirmed prison sentences ranging from three years and four months to three years and ten months.
The court also upheld fines totalling €1.32 million.
The court heard how the principal defendant used his wife and sister to place criminal proceeds into the legal economy.
Assets included land, two homes in La Linea de la Concepcion, more than 10 vehicles, a jet ski and two Rolex watches.
Land divided into 20 plots
The investigation began in 2018 after prosecutors uncovered an unusual property scheme involving rural land in La Linea.
Rather than selling conventional plots, a company transferred shares representing sections of the property. Each €1,000 share was equivalent to one square metre of land.
The estate was ultimately divided into 20 plots, which investigators said were purchased by people with established links to drug trafficking and organised crime.
Many had no declared legal income but subsequently built valuable homes without planning permission.
The case was investigated by the Guardia Civil’s now-disbanded OCON-Sur anti-drug unit.
BMWs, Mercedes and Rolex watches
The convicted man was found to be the true owner of shares formally registered in the names of his wife and sister.
The family declared paying €25,000 for a transaction worth more than €44,000 before carrying out extensive work on the land.
A second plot was purchased for €50,000 and used to build the family home. Although its architect valued the construction at €109,164, a court expert estimated its real cost at €313,287.
The women also held more than 10 vehicles in their names, including a BMW X5, a Mercedes-Benz and a Jeep Grand Cherokee, despite none of the defendants filing income tax returns capable of explaining their wealth.
Police seized two Rolex watches, electronic devices and €2,450 in cash during a raid in June 2020.
The court concluded that €397,572 was laundered through the man’s wife and €140,360 through his sister.
He was sentenced to three years and ten months in prison and fined €795,000. His wife received three years and six months and a €350,000 fine, while his sister was handed three years and four months and a €175,000 fine.
The court also ordered the confiscation of the La Linea property, two vehicles, the watches, cash and electronic devices.
The ruling can still be challenged before Spain’s Supreme Court.
