balkan - Blog - Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org
2024-03-29T08:55:35Z
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/feed/tag/balkan
Balkan cartel trafficking cocaine from South America to Europe busted – Connection to Calabrian Mafia
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/balkan-cartel-trafficking-cocaine-from-south-america-to-europe-bu
2022-07-29T15:39:56.000Z
2022-07-29T15:39:56.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10733074070?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>A cross-border operation involving law enforcement authorities from Croatia, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain, and supported by Europol, on Wednesday, led to the dismantling of a criminal organization trafficking cocaine from South America to Europe and beyond.</p>
<p>The investigation into this criminal network lasted several years, and involved a number of countries. The drug trafficking network was mainly composed of Montenegrin nationals, but also involved citizens from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy and Serbia.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>‘Ndrangheta connection</strong></span></p>
<p>Between 2019 and 2020, law enforcement authorities seized more than 6 tons of cocaine in Aruba, Ivory Coast, Portugal and Spain. Europol stated that the investigations following the seizure in Portugal uncovered possible links between this criminal network and the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/ndrangheta-overview" target="_blank">Calabrian Mafia</a>, known as <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/ndrangheta-overview" target="_blank">’Ndrangheta</a>.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>WATCH: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/watch-balkan-cartel-behind-cocaine-pipeline-to-europe-busted-high" target="_blank"><strong>Balkan cartel behind cocaine pipeline to Europe busted – High-value targets arrested</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>This same seizure led to the identification of 17 new suspects, 13 of whom were Montenegrin nationals. During the course of the investigation, 29 suspects were prosecuted in Croatia, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Serbia, Slovenia and Portugal.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/the-dark-side-of-ljuba-zemunac-profile-of-yugoslavian-crime-boss" target="_blank"><strong>The Dark Side of “Ljuba Zemunac” - Profile of Yugoslavian crime boss Ljubomir Magas</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>On Wednesday, July 27, officers across <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/europe-overview" target="_blank">Europe</a> raided 37 locations (1 in Croatia, 2 in Italy, 33 in Montenegro and 1 in Serbia), arrested 12 suspects (1 in Croatia, 1 in Italy, 8 in Montenegro and 2 in Serbia) and seized expensive watches, bank cards, documents, ammunition and weapons, a vehicle and a speedboat and cash.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/europe-overview">European organized crime section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>
WATCH: Balkan cartel behind cocaine pipeline to Europe busted – High-value targets arrested
https://gangstersinc.org/blog/watch-balkan-cartel-behind-cocaine-pipeline-to-europe-busted-high
2021-09-29T08:01:54.000Z
2021-09-29T08:01:54.000Z
Gangsters Inc.
https://gangstersinc.org/members/GangstersInc
<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9623098075?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>By <a href="http://www.gangstersinc.org" target="_blank">Gangsters Inc.</a> Editors</p>
<p>A Balkan drug cartel was busted by police agencies throughout Europe in the past few months, Europol reported on Monday. 61 suspects in 8 countries were accused of being part of a Balkan cartel that flooded Europe with cocaine. Among those arrested are two of Europol’s high-value targets, both leaders of the organization.</p>
<p>Spanish investigators developed reliable intelligence that this cartel was preparing a major cocaine importation from <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/drug-cartels" target="_blank">South America</a> into <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/europe-overview" target="_blank">Europe</a> in spring of this year. Special surveillance measures were put in place as the drug traffickers moved back and forth between Spain and South America to finalize the details of the cocaine shipment of over 1,25 tons.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Kingpins and high-value targets</strong></span></p>
<p>The investigation gathered pace in March of this year when the leaders of this cartel travelled to Spain to prepare for the arrival of the cocaine shipment. These two individuals – considered as high-value targets by Europol, had until then avoided attending meetings in person in order to evade law enforcement.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/coked-up-europe-increase-in-cocaine-traffic-more-players-and-viol" target="_blank">Coked Up Europe</a>: Increase in cocaine traffic, more players and violence, but ‘Ndrangheta remains key</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>This was too good of an opportunity for law enforcement to miss, according to Europol. In the early hours of March 10 of this year, officers from the Spanish National Police (Policia Nacional) carried out simultaneous raids in the cities of Tarragona, Barcelona, Gerona and Valencia, arresting 13 individuals, including the two kingpins and a corrupt police officer who collaborated with the criminal organization.</p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pGnmZ0ZWjhs" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p>The Spanish investigators also dismantled the cartel’s alternative revenue streams, such as the production and trafficking of marijuana and the sale of luxury vehicles.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Balkan</strong></span></p>
<p>But authorities weren’t finished.</p>
<p>In a follow-up action in May 2021 some 48 other members of the organized criminal group were charged in Slovenia by the National Police (Policija) for their involvement in the distribution of the cocaine and marijuana throughout Europe. A total of 10 of these suspects are now under arrest. </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>READ: The Dark Side of “Ljuba Zemunac” - </strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-dark-side-of-ljuba-zemunac-profile-of-yugoslavian-crime-boss" target="_blank"><strong>Profile of Yugoslavian crime boss Ljubomir Magas</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>This highly mobile criminal organization had branches in several European countries and was composed mainly of criminals from Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia, countries that fall under the Balkan region.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/coked-up-europe-increase-in-cocaine-traffic-more-players-and-viol" target="_blank">report released by Europol</a> earlier this month, the agency warned of the growing influence Balkan criminal organizations had within Europe’s drug market.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Back to the <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/profiles/blogs/drug-cartels">Drug Cartels section</a> or <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/europe-overview">European organized crime section</a> on Gangsters Inc.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out the latest news on organized crime and the Mafia at our <a href="https://gangstersinc.ning.com/blog/list/tag/news">news section</a></strong></li>
<li><strong>Check out our <a href="https://gangstersinc.org/blog/gangsters-inc-on-social-media">social media channels</a></strong></li>
<li><strong><a href="https://gangstersinc.org/profiles/blogs/about-gangsters-inc">About Gangsters Inc.</a></strong></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Copyright © Gangsters Inc.</strong></p></div>