Properties of Spanish pyramid scheme boss seized twice in Albania

2026-01-16 19:45:02Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Alvaro Romillo Castillo, Mihaela Munteanu Manole, Domingo Romillo Iriarte

Three months after they were seized by SPAK, the Tirana Prosecutor's Office also announced on Friday that it had seized business companies, land and bank accounts invested from Albania by the leaders of a cryptocurrency pyramid scheme in Spain.

The Tirana Prosecutor's Office announced on Friday that it had seized several commercial companies, over 23 hectares of land in Dhërmi, as well as vehicles and bank accounts owned by Spanish citizen Alvaro Castillo - accused of setting up an international fraud scheme worth 30 million euros from Spain to the United States of America.

According to the announcement, the properties seized in Albania are suspected to be the product of the criminal offense of money laundering.

Data obtained by BIRN shows, however, that the Tirana Prosecution's seizure measures have no practical value, as the same properties were previously seized by the Special Prosecution.

According to documents at the National Business Center, companies owned by Casillo and his relatives, Wingwort, Wortend and Wortnova, as well as other properties, have been placed under the administration of the Sequestered and Confiscated Assets Administration Agency, AAPSK, since October 16, 2025.

Asked by BIRN about this overlapping of seizures, prosecutor Ndini Tavani of the Tirana Prosecution Office said that the seizure measure was imposed on the basis of a criminal proceeding for the offense of "Laundering the proceeds of a criminal offense or criminal activity", initiated following information forwarded by the State Police.

Tavani also explained that he was aware of the seizures previously carried out by SPAK, but according to him, the latter were not investigating Spanish citizens, but "had carried out the seizures based on a letter of request from the Spanish authorities."

"Given that our investigation began long before SPAK carried out the seizure, and due to the fact that there is no parallel investigation by them, I continued the investigation and followed the relevant procedures, concluding with the request for seizure," said Prosecutor Tavani, adding that he was performing his duty according to legal requirements.

According to investigations conducted by the Tirana Prosecution Office, Alvaro Castillo, his father, Domingo Iriarte, and his partner Mihaela Manole are accused of having created a fraud scheme through the creation of companies in Spain, Portugal, Albania, the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Estonia. According to the prosecution, the value obtained through this scheme is estimated to reach 30 million euros.

Në vitin 2024, ata kanë regjistruar tre kompani në Shqipëri me objekt fushën e turizmit apo investimet në pasuri të patundshme, të cilat janë përfshirë në kontrata, transferta dhe shkëmbime tregtare me kompani të regjistruara në Bullgari, Sllovaki apo Malajzi.

Sipas prokurorisë, këto shoqëri kanë blerë pasuri të paluajtshme në Dhërmi me vlera dukshëm më të ulëta se sa vlera e tregut.

Nga verifikimet e kryera ka rezultuar se këto subjekte ushtrojnë të njëjtin aktivitet dhe kanë të njëjtën adresë, me administratorë shtetasit spanjollë. Po ashtu, rezultojnë me status “pezulluar”, ç’ka sipas organit të akuzës, rrit dyshimet për ekzistencën e një aktiviteti të përbashkët ekonomik të mundshëm dhe përdorim formal të subjekteve për qëllime të fshehjes apo transferimit të të ardhurave me origjinë të dyshimtë.

Domingo Iarte është nën hetim në Spanjë për mashtrim piramidal dhe pastrim parash. Hetimi lidhet kryesisht me aktivitetet e tij në kompaninë Madeira Invest Club dhe shoqëri financiare të tjera të tij. Megjithatë, në qendër të skemës dyshohet se qëndronte djali i tij, Alvaro Castillo, i arrestuar në Spanjë dhe i njohur në rrjetet e koduara si ‘Luis’ apo ‘Cryptospain’.

“Ai komunikonte me klientët në platformën Telegram, duke i bindur të investonin shuma që nisnin nga 1.5 milionë euro, pa pasur detyrimin të identifikoheshin. Kjo e bënte të pamundur gjurmimin e transaksioneve financiare”, citohet në njoftim dhe shtohet se ky rrjet kriminal kishte ngritur kompani fiktive në disa shtete për të fshehur qarkullimin e parave./BIRN


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