Europol delivers a major blow to organised crime groups

Coordination between officers from nine countries leads to 100 arrests.
 

Europol led the operation involving officers from nine countries
Europol led the operation involving officers from nine countries

A German-led international police operation, assisted by Europol, delivered what it describes as “a major blow” to Eurasian organised crime groups, yesterday.

Europol reports that 100 individuals were arrested in the operation, involving 950 law enforcement officers in nine countries. The operation also identified two further suspects thought to be responsible for mass production of forged passports, identity cards and drivers’ licences. These two suspects were charging €250 and €1500 per document and are thought to have been responsible for sending at least 300 packets of these documents throughout Europe.

The 57 forged documents mainly purporting to be Czech, Romanian and Bulgarian, were used by “hundreds of criminals” to maintain a façade of legality for their stays in the EU, to claim welfare benefits and commit an array of other offences, ranging from thefts and robberies to racketeering and violent crime.

Apart from the documents, the items seized included burglary tools, five firearms, 1.9 kg of amphetamine and cannabis, 1200 packs of counterfeit cigarettes, over 300 pieces of jewellery and watches, €26 000 in cash and a stolen vehicle.