How 61 criminals got arrested, 2.6 tons of cocaine seized: Serbian police in international operation

In 2020 and 2021, 2.6 tons of cocaine has been seized and 61 members of an organized criminal group have been arrested in an international operation carried out in eight countries on two continents, under Europol's umbrella, in which members of the Serbian Interior Ministry, the Criminal Police Administration and the Organized Crime Prosecution also took part.

These actions were taken within the Operational Working Group and involved police forces of the Republic of Serbia, the Kingdom of Spain, Germany, Slovenia, Colombia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, as well as the US Drug Enforcement Agency DEA.

Dramatic footage a Spanish police operation shows the moments of the arrest and the seizure of drugs. One video shows a huge amount of drugs on the ground, while at the same time the police arrest a criminal group.

Another video also shows an arrest with the use of a pointed gun and criminals falling to the floor of a garage, surrounded by the police.

The police were very busy counting the huge amount of seized cash.

The criminals were also intercepted in front of luxury villas, and police officers quickly handcuffed them.

This was not only about cocaine, since the police also found huge marijuana labs, where these banned plants were grown.

About 612,000 euros, 324 kilograms of marijuana, luxury vehicles and motorcycles were seized in these operations.

The extensive operation came after successful cooperation in discovering the sources and identification of the members of the organized criminal group in July 2020 in the Caribbean Sea, when an attempt to smuggle 1,350 kilograms of cocaine intended for the European market was intercepted, that had been procured and smuggled by the organized criminal group.

The police accelerated the investigation in March this year when cartel leaders arrived in Spain to prepare for the arrival of a new large quantity of cocaine, which was transported from South America to Spain by the group, and on March 10, members of the Spanish National Police seized 1,250 kilograms of cocaine.and arrested 13 people in several Spanish cities.

Among those arrested were N.P. (48), a high-ranking member of the organized criminal group who is a Montenegrin citizen residing in Novi Sad, J.J. (57), a citizen of the Republic of Serbia residing in Spain, R.B. (33) and M.M. (34) from Belgrade, as well as and S.P. (40) from Cuprija.

In this operation, members of the Criminal Police Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Serbia were in Spain and participated in the arrests and searches of the facilities used by the suspects.

At the same time, after joint investigative work, in May this year Slovenian and Spanish police identified and arrested 48 other members of this organized criminal group that was engaged in smuggling and distribution of large quantities of cocaine and marijuana throughout Europe.

(Telegraf.rs)