Thirteen suspects arrested in five European countries in operation against drug network
A European operation against a drug network has led to the arrest of 13 people in five countries, including Belgium. The network, which had been operating in Europe, has been dismantled, reports Eurojust, the agency that coordinates cooperation between the judicial authorities of the EU member states.
The Italian authorities began investigating the network in December 2021. They found that the group, made up of people of several nationalities, was operating across Europe. They used Eurojust's facilities to launch investigations in other countries and to carry out searches and seizures.
Members of the organisation in Spain provided the drugs for the illegal activities. Couriers then distributed them across Europe in lorries belonging to the network. Members in Belgium, Italy, Germany, Spain and Ukraine sold the substances on the local drug market.
On Tuesday, local police carried out raids in Belgium, Italy, Germany, Spain and Ukraine. A total of 13 people were arrested and police found electronic equipment, drugs and money. In Belgium, the Mons police took part in the operation.
Eurojust points out that drug trafficking remains one of the biggest security threats in Europe. A Europol report shows that 50 per cent of European criminal gangs are involved in drug trafficking and that half of all murders in Europe are directly linked to drug trafficking.
© PHOTO KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP
Related news
