The Hague (dpa) – According to Europol, international investigators have arrested more than 800 suspects in more than 1200 different countries during the operation against organized crime. On Tuesday, Europol in The Hague said it was one of the largest police operations in history. More than 700 buildings were searched, tons of drugs were confiscated and large amounts of cash, precious jewelry and weapons were confiscated.
For an entire 18 months, the researchers listened to phone calls and other communications between the gangs. A total of more than 27 million messages were scanned. And investigators were able to deliver such a massive blow because they had previously planted specially prepared phones for undercover agents in more than 300 gangs, including mafia gangs in Italy, motorcycle gangs and international drug trafficking organizations. The phones, apparently encrypted, were actually linked, according to Europol, to a telecommunications network set up by the FBI.
“It was one of the largest and most sophisticated police operations to date,” Europol’s deputy director, Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, said in The Hague. Operation Trojan Shield was led by the FBI, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Swedish and Dutch police forces, with Europol coordinating the international community of drug forces. order. Researchers from 19 countries took part, including Germany.
On Monday, in the fight against drug trafficking, German police attacked hundreds of flats, warehouses and commercial premises across the country. In Germany alone, where the state of Hessen was centered, police officers searched more than 100 flats, warehouses and commercial premises on Monday.
