At least 11 arrested in major anti-corruption operation in Spain

Spanish Civil Guards confirmed on Tuesday that they have arrested at least 11 people in a major anti-corruption operation centered on the Catalan Region and the Community of Madrid.

The operation, known as "Operacion Terymca", has seen searches carried out in 23 town halls, among them Tortosa, Ametlla de Mar, Vandellos and Asco, in the Catalan province of Tarragona.

Meanwhile the town halls of Torrejon de Ardoz, Getafe, Chinchon and Miraflores de la Sierra have all been searched in the Community of Madrid, as well as private houses and company offices as the Civil Guards look for evidence of misuse of public funds, money laundering and criminal organization linked to the fixing of public contracts.

Searches have also been carried out in the provinces of Huelva in southwest Spain, Castellon in eastern Spain, Guadalajara and Granada.

Civil Guards have also made 15 requests for documentation from other town halls, among them Barcelona and Girona.

The operation has its roots in an investigation which began in 2014 related to the misuse of Local Public Companies, whose aim is to improve the management of public funds.

However, it is thought that many of these companies ended up involved in fraud with two companies EFIAL and CGA, which drew up false reports and charged for non-existent services before directing much of the fraudulently earned money into accounts in Andorra. Endit