Millions laundered through nail salons and restaurants in darknet drug scheme

German police have nailed a Vietnamese money laundering scheme in which criminals were converting profits they made on the dark web, selling drugs for cash. Investigators claim the seemingly legitimate businesses funneled 7-figure sums of euros.

The German police have paid a few unusual visits to nail salons and restaurants. Up to 400 officers in North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse have conducted raids targeting dark-web money laundering and drug trafficking.

Officials from the police and customs have carried out a series of raids and searched approximately 40 residential and business premises. During the operation, they arrested 8 suspects and seized cash and cryptocurrencies in the 6-figure range.

According to Faz.net, investigators said the cash originated from Vietnamese nationals in Germany, some of whom have been working in nail salons or restaurants illegally. They ran these businesses, which served as a cover for criminals to operate an underground money-laundering network.

Authorities say more than €7 million in cash has been traced to the operation since November 2025.

More than 100 million euros flowed through the main suspects' crypto wallets during the said period. According to investigators, this kind of underground banking network was used to exchange cryptocurrencies for cash and to conduct financial transactions between Germany and Vietnam.

The authorities also discovered two firearms and several kilograms of narcotics.

The criminal group has allegedly been selling drugs such as ecstasy pills, hashish, cocaine, and pharmaceuticals on darknet marketplaces worldwide since at least July 2020.

German prosecutors claim to be continuing the investigation, and further arrests have not been ruled out. The investigation is being led by Cologne’s Public Prosecutor's Office.

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