13.06.23 – Belgian police seize 5 tons of cocaine by chance in Gent. Belgian police have seized five tons of cocaine by chance in the city of Gent, local media reported on Tuesday. The operation was initially started to respond to a stolen car case in Brussels, and an investigation was launched, Flemish daily Het Nieuwsblad said. The probe took authorities to Gent, where they found on Monday morning a large amount of cocaine in a single place. The confiscated cocaine has an estimated value of at least €200 million ($216 million).
14.06.23 – Five suspects responsible for EUR 38 million VAT fraud scheme arrested. Today, a team of over 2 000 tax, customs and police investigators from 7 countries has made 5 arrests, carried out over 450 searches, and seized real estate and cars in Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Europol supported the operation code-named Huracán, which was led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Cologne after their discovery of a large value-added tax (VAT) fraud scheme concerning the international trade of more than 10 000 cars. The fraudulent turnover of the organised crime group behind the scheme is estimated at EUR 225 million, and the estimated VAT losses caused by the suspects amounts to at least EUR 38 million. The investigation and action day have been supported by the Operational Network @ON funded by EU Project ISF4@ON.
16.06.23 – A luxury yacht, Cartier and Rolex jewellery, millions of dollars and cocaine: Cops arrested FIFTY-TWO in $47million organised crime bust. More than fifty people have been arrested and almost $50million worth of assets has been seized after police busted one of Victoria’s largest crime syndicates. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Victoria Police executed more than 60 warrants across Melbourne and regional Victoria during the years-long investigation. Specialist officers seized more than $47million worth of assets including 60 properties, multiple luxury cars and a yacht worth nearly $800,000.
16.06.23 – 10 gold smugglers put behind bars. In the early hours of 15 June 2023, a joint operation by the Italian, German and Swiss law enforcement agencies led to the arrest of 10 members of a criminal network involved in the smuggling of gold and other precious goods, as well as money laundering activities. In total, the network is suspected of laundering over EUR 15 million through a complex money laundering scheme across Europe. More than 150 police officers were involved in the operation, which took place in Italy, Germany and Switzerland.
17.06.23 – Interpol on the hunt for Bulgarian criminal suspects ‘linked’ to SA and web of global organised crime. A complex web of crime, involving more internationally wanted suspects finding themselves in South Africa, is unfolding as investigations continue into the murders of Krasimir Kamenov and three others in Cape Town last month. Kamenov, who had been wanted for murder in Bulgaria, was shot along with his wife Gergana and two others, believed to be their employees, in the upmarket Cape Town suburb of Constantia on 25 May.
