A news release from Europol on 25th July announced that Operation Familia co-ordinated by the DEA and Europol has seen a total of 16 arrests, 11 in Europe and 5 in Asia, and the seizure of more than 1 tonne of cocaine and €2 million in cash. A a Balkan organised criminal network suspected of large-scale cocaine trafficking from South America to Europe using private planes. The investigation revealed that the Balkan traffickers were not only operating in Europe and South America, where they prepared several flights from one continent to another between 2018 and 2019 but also in Asia, where they facilitated and coordinated the maritime trafficking of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, mostly in Hong Kong and Macao. One of the ringleaders, considered as a high-value target, was arrested in Switzerland while co-ordinating a 600 kg cocaine shipment importation using a private plane. Another high-value target was arrested in Croatia which was the final hit to the core of the targeted criminal group.
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