Europol announced on Friday that an international operation targeting a violent Scottish crime gang involved in drug trafficking resulted in 13 arrests, according to Reuters. The operation involved police forces from Spain, the Netherlands, and Britain.
Key Takeaways
Europol led an international operation targeting a violent Scottish crime gang involved in drug trafficking, resulting in 13 arrests across Scotland and Spain. The gang operated from the United Arab Emirates and Spain, using violence to control territories in the UK. Separately, a joint investigation disrupted a people-smuggling network operating in the English Channel, leading to 21 arrests and the seizure of smuggling kits.
The gang, which Europol did not name, is known for using violence to dominate territory and protect its criminal activities. Investigators believe the gang maintained control over parts of the United Kingdom through intimidation and organized violence tied to drug trafficking. Senior figures operated from Spain and the United Arab Emirates, directing operations and managing profits at a distance, Europol stated.
The operation resulted in eight arrests in Scotland and five in Spain. The gang is also suspected of building an international money laundering network to hide the proceeds of serious crime.
In a separate but related development, a joint investigation by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and Belgian Federal Police, supported by authorities from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Europol, and Eurojust, disrupted a people-smuggling network operating in the English Channel. According to BBC and Daily Mail, 21 people, including four Syrian nationals suspected of being key figures in the organized crime group, were arrested during raids in Germany.
The operation targeted a network supplying 'smuggling kits' that included inflatable boats, engines, petrol cans, life jackets, and makeshift life vests made from tyre inner tubes. These kits were used to transport migrants across the English Channel. Authorities seized 11 boats, one engine, life vests, boxes of inner tubes, weapons, gold bars, over 30 electronic devices, and almost €60,000 in cash.
NCA Deputy Director of Investigations Craig Turner stated that the operation had successfully disrupted and dismantled a significant organized crime group. He emphasized the complete disregard these criminal networks have for the safety of those they transport. The seized equipment was produced in Asia and imported from Turkey via sea and land borders, arriving in bulk in Germany before being stored in warehouses controlled by the network.
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