On the territory of FR Germany, an operational action was carried out on Wednesday, which is directed against the transnational criminal network known as the “Balkan Cartel”. The operation was implemented simultaneously in FR Germany, Austria, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with highly coordinated cooperation of European agencies and local police authorities.
The activities were managed by the Federal Criminal Bureau of Germany (BKA), in coordination with Europol, while the police agencies of the participating countries, including the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), actively participated in the operation. In “breaking” the “Balkan Cartel”, SIPA police officers provided support in the collection of intelligence data, information analysis and coordination with teams on the ground, using SIPA’s available bases. In front of SIPA, a police officer was appointed to work in the operational headquarters in FR Germany.
In this operational action, 45 residential and commercial buildings and movable property were searched, both in Germany and in other involved countries. Three persons were deprived of their liberty, due to illegal traffic in narcotic drugs. During the search, multimillion-dollar worth of property was discovered and temporarily confiscated, including cash, luxury items, three high-value vehicles, real estate and land, as well as documents, electronic devices and firearms with ammunition.
Working on the case revealed that the criminal network was involved in the transfer of several tons of cocaine shipments from Colombia to Europe, money laundering through companies and real estate in several countries, as well as arms trade.
SIPA’s activities in this case show a high level of international cooperation in the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking. With its engagement, SIPA contributed to the identification of key members of the criminal network and securing evidence, confirming that SIPA remains a reliable partner in regional and international operational activities to prevent and detect the most serious crimes, SIPA announced.
(TYPE/Photo: EUROPOL)
