Europol has supported Italian law enforcement in dealing a heavy blow to the ‘Ndrangheta criminal organisation. In an action day conducted on 8 July 2025 across Italy, Spain and Albania, special intervention teams have arrested 28 suspected criminals of Italian and Albanian nationality. Among the individuals taken into custody is an Italian national from the […]
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Two-way migrant smuggling network busted in France and Spain
Europol supported the French National Police (Police Nationale/OLTIM Perpignan) and the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional/UCRIF Central) in dismantling an organised criminal network smuggling migrants of Algerian and Moroccan origin from Spain to France as well as in the opposite direction, from the United Kingdom to Spain. In addition to the arrests made in Spain […]
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8 arrests for migrant smuggling and drug trafficking across the Mediterranean
Europol has supported Spanish authorities (Policía Nacional) in a transnational operation against a highly-organised network involved in both migrant smuggling and drug trafficking between Spain and Morocco. Authorities believe the group smuggled over 200 people and obtained over EUR 2.5 million in profits. The action day led to the following results: 8 arrests, including the […]
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European Commission revises high-risk countries list to boost global efforts against financial crime
The European Commission has updated its list of high-risk jurisdictions presenting strategic deficiencies in their national anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regimes. EU entities covered by the AML framework are required to apply enhanced vigilance in transactions involving these countries. This is important to protect the EU financial system. A number […]
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50 arrested and 4 tonnes of cocaine seized in major anti-drug operation in Spain
Almost 50 suspects have been arrested in a large-scale operation supported by Europol against the largest criminal network operating in the Canary Islands (Spain). The investigation was led by Spanish authorities and also involved law enforcement from Portugal, Colombia, UK and USA. Results of the operation: 48 suspects arrested 3.8 tonnes of cocaine seized 29 […]
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Europol leads operation against online terrorist content targeting minors
On 27 May, Europol coordinated a Referral Action Day (RAD) on minors’ exploitation and radicalisation online. More than 2 000 links pointing to jihadist and right-wing violent extremist and terrorist propaganda targeting minors were referred during the action day. The referral day took place only a few weeks after Europol launched a new Operational Taskforce to tackle […]
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MEPs evaluate the security situation in the EU in Barbate and Algeciras.
The EP Petitions Committee delegation, led by its chair Bogdan Rzońca (ECR, Poland), will begin its visit on 26 May in Barbate (Cádiz), where it will meet with petitioners who raised the issue with the committee and the families of the two civil guards killed during an operation to stop a drug boat on 9 […]
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AK rifles and grenades seized as firearms trafficking route into France dismantled
An international firearms trafficking network smuggling assault rifles and grenades into Western Europe has been dismantled following a series of coordinated raids in France, Spain and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the gang, which is believed to have sourced high-powered weapons from illegal markets in the Western Balkans and […]
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Europol backs takedown of gang smuggling hazardous cars from US
Europol supported an action led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Berlin (Germany) and Vilnius (Lithuania), which involved around 1 000 police, tax and customs officers carrying out 200 searches in ten countries. The investigation targeted a vast criminal organisation active in smuggling badly damaged cars from the United States (US) into the […]
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