Spain and Serbia dismantle Serbian marijuana trafficking network

By Gangsters Inc. Editors

Spanish and Serbian authorities have dismantled a large-scale drug trafficking network last month. 43 members of a Serbian organized crime group have been arrested for their involvement in producing and distributing marijuana and hashish.

During a series of raids on June 28, 2021, in Serbia and Spain, and during interventions against the organized crime group in January, the Spanish Guardia Civil and the Serbian Police carried out 19 searches and seized over 17.000 marijuana plants, over 880 kilos of marijuana buds, and at least 130 kilos of produced marijuana and hashish resins. Approximately €250.000 euro in cash was also seized.

Europol’s and Eurojust’s support of Operation Mitikas

The arrests are a result of Operation Mitikas, which involved Europol and Eurojust and was developed in the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) and the operational action plan on cross-border drug trafficking sourced by large-scale herbal cannabis production in the European Union.

The cannabis market in the European Union

Cannabis continues to represent the biggest slice in the European drug market, and trafficking this product will remain a significant source of income for a wide range of criminal networks, Europol reports. “The trade in cannabis but also in other drugs such as cocaine and synthetic drugs is a key threat to the EU due to the levels of violence associated, the multibillion euro profits generated and the substantial harm caused by it.”

Herbal cannabis is extensively produced within the European Union, with estimates indicating that at least 20.000 cultivation sites are dismantled each year, and is a major source of income for the criminal economy. Although herbal cannabis is produced in each European country, this may not be sufficient to satisfy local demand; therefore, trafficking within European borders exists as it has been shown in Operation Mitikas.

Copyright © Gangsters Inc.

Votes: 0
E-mail me when people leave their comments –

You need to be a member of Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org to add comments!

 

Gangsters Inc. News