Police across Europe are carrying out dozens of arrests of suspected members of a Russian mafia network dedicated to extortion and violent crime in numerous countries, Spanish police confirmed today.

At least 69 people have been arrested in raids that started over the weekend, with police claiming that the gang had exported the worst Russian mafia methods to numerous countries, including Britain. "These people were prepared to kill if necessary and accepted tasks of that nature," an anonymous Spanish police source told El País newspaper this morning.

"The operation is ongoing. There will probably be even more arrests during the day," a Spanish police spokeswoman said.

Spain's special organised crime unit was in charge of the operation, she said, with 24 arrests in Barcelona, Bilbao and in the province of Valencia. It was not clear where the other 45 arrests were made. Investigators in Germany, Austria and Switzerland are also involved in the operation, according to Spanish media.

The arrests were reportedly mostly of low-level foot soldiers in a mafia network that stretched from Turkey via much of continental Europe to Ireland and Britain. "This was a group that operated in various countries," El País's police source said. The money was laundered through messenger companies and small businesses set up in Spain. Those arrested were reportedly from Russia, Georgia and Armenia.

Police have carried out a series of operations against the Russian mafia and its money-laundering operations in Spain's corruption-riddled property sector over the past four years.

Among those to have been detained in recent years is Zakhar Kalashov, accused of being a senior mafia boss. Kalashov is on bail, awaiting sentence in a money-laundering trial that was carried out under tight security and that ended in December.

Spanish investigators complain that courts have been too ready to grant bail to the numerous alleged Russian mafia members they have detained. "We had gained a lot of prestige in Europe for our operations against the Russian mafias and these decisions have thrown part of that work into the dustbin," the El País source complained.

Alleged leaders of the Malyshevskaya criminal group are among those to have been released from jail on bail in recent times. Kalashov himself was released from prison on bail a fortnight ago. Those arrested today were recorded on phone-taps discussing his potential release, according to El País.