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CRIME

Protesters take to streets of Spain again over killing of gay man

A fresh wave of protests has swept across several cities in Spain over the weekend to demand justice for a young gay man who was beaten to death a week ago in a suspected homophobic attack.

Published: 12 July 2021 09:09 CEST
Protesters take to streets of Spain again over killing of gay man
A picture of Samuel Luiz is seen during a demonstration against LGTBQ-phobia and Spanish government repression, in Barcelona on July 9, 2021. - The killing of young gay man Samuel Luiz in A Coruna on July 3, 2021, in a suspected hate crime, has sparked nationwide protests. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)

Crowds filled a central Madrid square and activists marched the streets of Almeria and the northern city of Coruña, where the crime happened, chanting slogans and waving rainbow-coloured flags.

Similar demonstrations were held in other cities over the weekend, including Barcelona and Seville.

Samuel Luiz, a 24-year-old nursing assistant, was beaten unconscious near a nightclub in Coruna in the early hours of July 3 by several assailants. He died later in hospital.

The attackers shouted homophobic slurs while beating Luiz, according to his friends’ version of events.

READ MORE:

Is Spain really a tolerant country when it comes to LGBTQ+ people?

Police have so far arrested six suspects, including two minors, over the killing but the authorities have said they are still working to determine if the attack was motivated by homophobia.

Miguel Serrano, 22, said he joined the demonstration in Madrid “because it could have been me” in Luiz’s place.

“It is clear it was a homophobic attack because of the insults that were hurled,” he added.

Protesters carried signs reading: “Some people are LGBTQ+. Get over it” and “We are all Samuel. Justice now!”.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the killing, calling it a “savage and merciless act” in a tweet, as have Latin pop star Ricky Martin and Spanish singer Alejandro Sánz.

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CRIME

Spain and France bust million-euro-a-day money laundering network

Spanish and French police said Friday they had smashed an international money-laundering network capable of handling a million euros per day, arresting five people in Spain, including its leader.

Published: 6 July 2024 09:16 CEST
Spain and France bust million-euro-a-day money laundering network

Jointly run by France’s anti-fraud squad and the Spanish police with Europol’s support, the investigation began in February 2021 when French customs agents found more than 500,000 euros hidden in a car in southern France.

Led by a French magistrate, investigators discovered the existence of a “criminal scheme for laundering large quantities of cash across Europe”, which had been operating since at least 2019, a joint statement said.

This network, made up of Chinese nationals living in various European countries, was able to integrate huge sums of cash — more than one million euros ($1.1 million) per day — back into the legitimate economy.

“Their modus operandi was based on the existence of many collection points for money that was mainly coming from trading in counterfeit goods, tax and customs fraud, and pimping” sex workers, it said.

The money was then transferred to the network which then organised its distribution across Europe.

Spanish police arrested five people in Madrid, Valencia, Alicante and Barcelona, including a Chinese businessman who headed the network.

Investigators also searched various premises and homes, and by using sniffer dogs were able to find “almost 160,000 euros in cash hidden behind false ceilings and in portable refrigerators” and in other well-concealed places.

“This international operation… shows the leading role of Asian criminal groups in money laundering activities in Europe,” they said.

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