Spanish police dismantle Russian mafia group


MADRID (AFP) — Spanish police said Saturday they have dismantled a Russian mafia group operating in Spain, making 20 arrests and recovering a painting believed to be by Spanish artist Salvador Dali.

The Dali painting, signed by the artist and dated 1949, was found during police searches on Friday of a luxurious home in Valencia, a police spokesman said, adding that experts will determine the authenticity of the artwork.

Police also seized about 200,000 euros (307,000 dollars) in cash and several luxury cars in their anti-mafia sweep which took place Friday simultaneously in several locations, from the island of Majorca to Malaga in the south and Valencia to the east.

Twenty people, including an alleged Russian mafia boss Gennadios Petrov, were arrested in the operation that involved some 400 police officers.
In addition, bank accounts totalling 12 million euros were frozen.

Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon in charge of the operation arrived Saturday on Majorca to conduct the first interviews with Petrov as well as three other alleged members of the Russian mafia.

The Russian mafia group is "one of the four biggest in the world", which used Spain as a home for its top leaders and for money-laundering its gains from illegal activities in Russia and other former Soviet states, according to police.

The anti-mafia operation was the result of two years of investigation by the Spanish police.

it is always good to stop organized crime or disorganized crime for that matter

__________________
Aint but three things in this world thats worth a solitary dime,
But old dogs and children and watermelon wine.
Tom T. Hall
http://www.obamatruth.org/

I totally agree! Mafia must be dismantled, wherever found and whatever doing. And no matter the nationality.