European police breaks up drug trafficking ring

Police in Italy and other European countries managed to shut down a drug trafficking ring that smuggled cocaine and heroin from South America and Eastern Europe. 11 people arrested.

Photo: European police breaks up drug trafficking ring

Five people were arrested over the past week across Italy, while three were detained in Germany, two in the Netherlands, and one in Austria, said police in the northeastern Italian city of Trento. Police were still seeking 12 other alleged members of the group, which included Albanians, Serbs, Bosnians, Croatians and Italians.

The group had bases in Balkan countries and sold Venezuelan and Colombian cocaine brought in through Spain and the Netherlands as well as heroin smuggled in from Turkey, police said.

During a two-year investigation by police forces across Europe, 10 additional people were arrested on suspicion of international drug trafficking and authorities seized luxury cars, jewelry, a yacht and more than €8 million (US$11.5 million) in cash and bank accounts.

Raids also yielded 76 kilograms (167 pounds) of cocaine and 26 kilograms (57 pounds) of heroin that would have sold for about €15 million (US$22 million), the statement said.