Chilean jailed over Spain racket

Nearly 20 of the suspects were employed by del Valle's legal firm

A Chilean lawyer who allegedly masterminded a huge money-laundering racket has been ordered to remain in a Spanish prison.

The lawyer, Fernando del Valle, was arrested in Spain along with 41 other suspects from six countries.

Investigators say crime gangs involved in prostitution, drugs and arms deals used his firm to launder their money.

It is also alleged that some of the cash was illegally siphoned from the troubled Russian oil giant Yukos.

A spokesman for Yukos denied any involvement in money-laundering.

Assets seized

A boat, two planes and more than 40 luxury cars were also seized in the raids, which went ahead after 10 months of investigation, officials said.

The money-laundering ring was based in the southern coastal resort of Marbella, investigators say.

A huge quantity of luxury assets was impounded

Spanish, Moroccan, French, Finnish, Russian and Ukrainian nationals were among those arrested.

Interpol and Europol were both involved in the joint Spanish-Russian operation, nicknamed White Whale.

The Spanish interior ministry described it as its biggest investigation ever. But the Spanish attorney-general said it had only touched the tip of the iceberg.

Yukos defiant

Yukos has ridiculed allegations about its alleged links to the scandal.

Spanish officials say large sums are thought to have been diverted from Yukos to a Dutch company and then to one of its Spanish branches.

The only place left to look is on Mars - did we launder something there? Yukos spokesman

Yukos has been under investigation by Russian authorities seeking the repayment of $28bn (£15bn) in alleged unpaid taxes.

The company's founder, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has been in jail since October 2003 and faces separate fraud and tax evasion charges.

Company spokesman Alexander Shadrin denied all wrongdoing in a radio interview.

"The only place left to look is on Mars - did we launder something there?" he said.

Spain's Costa del Sol, a coastal strip including Marbella and the city of Malaga, has long played host to a number of international criminal gangs, earning the nickname "Costa del Crime".