Major operation targets one of Scotland’s most violent crime networks
Investigators believe it maintained control over parts of the United Kingdom through intimidation, retaliation and organised violence tied to drug trafficking.
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Investigators believe it maintained control over parts of the United Kingdom through intimidation, retaliation and organised violence tied to drug trafficking.
The main suspect, a Turkish national holding a Greek residence permit, is believed to have coordinated the sourcing and transport of firearms into Spain, while overseeing the purchase and onward distribution of drugs to countries including Greece and Bulgaria.
Law enforcement authorities across Europe have intensified their efforts to disrupt migrant smuggling networks as part of a coordinated whole-route approach addressing every stage of the criminal business model..
On 30 March 2026, a coordinated international French-led operation, which was supported by Europol and involved law enforcement and judicial authorities from Germany and Hungary, led to the dismantling of a Vietnamese migrant smuggling network.
The suspects, who are Algerian, Moroccan, and Spanish nationals, maintained the migrant smuggling network’s strong presence in Almería, Spain.
On 15 April 2026, Europol supported law enforcement authorities in Montenegro in conducting a large-scale operation targeting a significant cell of the Balkan Cartel.