21.06.23 – Counterfeit goods worth over EUR 33 million seized. Operation Pirates 1 is a global operation to thwart smugglers of counterfeit goods such as pharmaceutical products, garments (clothes and accessories), cigarettes, cosmetics and electronic devices, toys etc. focused on physical inspections on land and sea borders. Seizures included: 810 995 counterfeit products (clothes, footwear, bags, wallets, belts, sunglasses, accessories, perfumes, electric bikes, watches, jewellery, pharmaceutical products, e-liquid for cigarettes, etc.), 61 246 counterfeit electronic devices, 7.8 million counterfeit cigarettes, 250 kg of cannabis and 59 firearms.
22.06.23 – Britain arrests man suspected of organising Mediterranean migrant crossings. Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Thursday it had arrested an Egyptian man suspected of coordinating the smuggling of thousands of people across the Mediterranean from north Africa to Italy. The NCA said it believed the 40-year-old man, detained in London on Wednesday, was working with people smuggling networks in north Africa to organise boats for migrants and then communicating with criminal associates during the crossings.
22.06.23 – Influential drug trafficking organisation halted in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Europol supported Bosnia and Herzegovina in identifying and dismantling a large-scale criminal network involved in the trafficking of drugs and weapons, money laundering and corruption. The investigation, initiated by a Europol analysis, involved the following authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Federal Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Interior of Republic of Srpska, Border Police and the State Prosecutors Office. Law enforcement (Federal Criminal Police Office) and judicial authorities from Germany also took part in the investigation.
23.06.23 – Strike against an Albanian drug trafficking network in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Eurojust and Europol have supported judicial and law enforcement authorities in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands in dismantling a network of drug traffickers composed mainly of Albanian nationals. During a joint action, 35 suspects were arrested and 51 places were searched in the countries involved. More than 600 police officers were involved in the operation. Eurojust assisted the authorities in setting up and funding a joint investigation team (JIT) into the case.
23.06.23 – Crowle lorry driver smuggled cocaine for crime gang. In a National Crime Agency examination of his computers, it was found that he had searched the internet for ‘helpful tips when dealing with police sniffer dogs’ and ‘how to conceal drugs from drug-sniffing dogs’. Overnight on February 26, Sellars travelled out in his lorry to the Netherlands to collect the drugs. He was arrested after returning on a ferry from the Hook of Holland into the port of Killingholme in north Lincolnshire two days later. Border Force officers discovered 290 kilos of cocaine hidden amongst a load of frozen mushrooms.
