Around 50 arrested in an operation against a drug network with members from the Western Balkans

Around 50 suspects have been arrested in an international police operation against a drug trafficking network whose members are linked to Western Balkan countries, the European Police Agency, Europol, announced on Thursday.

Europol said the arrested men are suspected of being linked to murders, kidnappings, shootings and hand grenade attacks across Europe.

The operation culminated on October 6 with checks at 42 locations in Slovenia and Spain, while the arrests were carried out in coordination with an operational center in Ljubljana and with the support of Europol.

Among the suspects are citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, as well as Slovenia, Bulgaria, Turkey and the Netherlands.

Police and judicial services from 22 countries participated in the investigation.

The largest number of suspects was arrested in Slovenia, a total of 34, Europol announced, while one person each was arrested in Spain and Croatia.

Another 11 suspects had been arrested earlier, during a years-long investigation.

During the last day of the operation, police seized 66 kilograms of drugs, including 51 kilograms of cannabis and 15 kilograms of amphetamine, as well as firearms, jewelry and cash, the release said.

The investigation revealed that the criminal group concealed large quantities of narcotics in commercial cargo shipments, using legal transportation routes as a cover for smuggling.

According to Europol, members of the network mainly employed drivers from Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Bulgaria, who transported drugs along with legal goods in trucks, vans, and vehicles.

For communication and coordination, they used the encrypted platforms SKY ECC and CryptCom.

Cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine, MDMA and methamphetamine were transported from Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain to other European countries. The legal transport of goods simultaneously brought additional profits and reduced the costs of smuggling.

Drug loss led to violence

According to the results of the investigation, EUROPOL emphasizes that seized drug shipments or disputes between network members often ended in violent clashes.

Investigators link the group to several shootings, murders and attempted murders, as well as the kidnapping of a member of the organization.

Explosive devices, including hand grenades, were used in the attacks, and the targets were members of the criminal network and their families.

Authorities say violence was used to recoup losses, punish those responsible for failed deliveries, and maintain control within the organization. The investigation also uncovered an attempted murder in Spain.

From February 2022 to September 2026, authorities seized 253 kilograms of cocaine, 404 kilograms of cannabis, 18.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 825 grams of MDMA.

Also seized were 550 liters of acetic anhydride, a chemical used in drug production, automatic weapons with silencers, ammunition, and several pistols.

However, Europol says that the quantities seized only make up a fraction of the overall criminal activities.

Through analyzing SKY ECC communications and other evidence, investigators have reconstructed transportation and other transactions linked to the suspects.

For this reason, it is expected that the suspects will be prosecuted for trafficking another 2.5 tons of cannabis, 474 kilograms of cocaine, 104 kilograms of heroin, 30 kilograms of amphetamine, 11.6 kilograms of MDMA, one kilogram each of ketamine and hashish, 18,000 ecstasy tablets and 1,000 units of psychoactive mushrooms.

Investigators have also identified 45 liters of oil intended for the production of amphetamine.

The announcement also states that Europol provided analytical and operational support to national police forces during the investigation, while on the day of the operation, an expert from this agency and a Croatian investigator worked from the coordination center in Ljubljana.

From this center, arrests and the activities of investigators in the territory of several countries were coordinated in real time./ REL