Spanish police have smashed what it says is Europe’s largest cocaine trafficking network. 61 suspects were arrested and 4 tons of cocaine were seized, DPA reported.
Police confirmed that the 61 detainees were mostly from the Balkans, and that in addition to cocaine, 2.5 tonnes of marijuana and large sums of cash were seized.
The investigation that led to the break-up of the network was led by the European police service Europol and involved police officers from Germany, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Colombia and the United States.
The thirteen arrests that took place earlier this year in Spain were in the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Tarragona, Girona and Valencia. The remaining arrests were made in Slovenia and elsewhere.
The gang smuggled large quantities of cocaine into Europe from South America and sold it on the continent. The drug network was shattered after a shipment of 1.25 tonnes of cocaine arrived in Spain, transported to Europe by ship from Brazil.
Police said the investigation was complicated because the leading members of the group were quite mobile, did not stay in one place for long and moved quickly from one country to another.
In addition, the gang had huge financial resources. The functions of the individual members of the group, their routes and contacts, as well as the drug’s route from South America to each European country have been gradually established through careful and continuous monitoring, police said.
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