11 arrested in new sting against wholesale cocaine traffickers

A long-running cross-border investigation has led to the takedown of a large-scale drug trafficking criminal network smuggling cocaine from South America into the EU. The operation spanned Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia. 

The cocaine traffickers targeted in this investigation used different maritime routes and modus operandi. The criminal network is connected to a seizure of over half a tonne of cocaine, with a street value of a EUR 50 million, at the port of Ploče in southern Croatia in late March 2021. The drugs were concealed in a modified cargo container floor. This seizure is a further indication that international drug trafficking organisations are increasingly targeting smaller EU ports.

EUR 1 million in cash seized and 18 under investigation

On the action day on 26 November 2024, law enforcement authorities arrested 11 suspects (2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1 in Croatia and 8 in Serbia). One of them is a high-value target. During the house searches, law enforcement officers seized weapons and a large amount of ammunition, as well as several expensive vehicles, watches and over EUR 1 million in cash. Four other individuals under investigation for belonging to this network are already in imprisoned. International Arrest Warrants have been issued for three others.

The criminal network bribed several corrupt customs’ officer to avoid police and customs controls during the logistical phase of the export. One corrupt customs officer was arrested during the operation. The other arrests were of members of the criminal network who played different roles in the organisation. Some of them led different criminal cells, while others either financed the activities or coordinated and arranged the logistics. One of the suspects, a high-value target arrested in Serbia, was already wanted by an EU Member State. He was involved in a million-euro theft as part of the notorious Pink Panther group. Both the theft and his escape from prison after his conviction date back to the early 2000s.

Intelligence developments following the takedown of Sky ECC

This investigation is a follow-up to a previous operation against a connected criminal network. These cross-border operations are the result of intelligence developments following the takedown in March 2021 of the encrypted communications platform Sky ECC.

In cooperation with France, Belgium and the Netherlands, and with the support of Europol’s Drugs Unit, Serbia was able to identify the key targets on its territory and map their criminal activities across the world. This criminal organisation is believed to be linked to a large-scale criminal network importing multi-tonne shipments of cocaine from Colombia through Brazil and Ecuador.

Europol’s Operational Taskforce

The recent takedown of three encrypted communication tools used by criminals – EncroChat, Sky ECC and Anom – revealed the prevalence of Balkan criminals in the global cocaine trade and related organised crime activities. 
Europol responded to this threat by creating an Operational Taskforce, consisting of countries inside and outside the EU, to effectively combat the threat emanating from criminal networks with ties to this region. This action day is a result of this Operational Taskforce, which is ongoing….

The following authorities took part in this action:  

• Bosnia and Herzegovina – State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA)
• Croatia - Criminal Police Service of the Dubrovnik-Neretva Police Department and Drug Enforcement Department (SKD, PNUSKOK)
• Serbia: Criminal Police Investigations Directorate (Управа криминалистичке полиције)