03/05 Spanish law enforcement seized more than seven tons of hashish in one of the biggest drug busts so far this year. Three people were arrested during an operation that intercepted a drug haul of 200 packets of hash.
04/05 Frontex and OSCE exchanged views on the prevention of document fraud in South Eastern Europe. Participants reaffirmed the strategic role of document checks both for the borders control and combatting cross-border crime, and stressed that cooperation between international, regional and national stakeholders is crucial.
05/05 More than 30 people have been arrested in Italy and Germany in a crackdown on the ‘ndrangheta, in a follow-up to December 2018’s Operation Pollino. Close to 800 police officers and tax officials were involved in the joint raids, which saw 31 suspects taken into custody and the homes of 65 others searched.
05/05 As sex trafficking has soared in Venezuela, seemingly legitimate modeling agencies are repeatedly being linked to cases of human trafficking, often sending women abroad. The most recent case from April this year.
06/05 INTERPOL launches the ID-Art app to protect cultural heritage and empower the fight against stolen works of art. The app will help identify stolen cultural property, reduce illicit trafficking, and increase the chances of recovering stolen works and artefacts.
07/05 An international law enforcement operation coordinated by Europol and Eurojust has resulted in the arrest of 12 suspects belonging to a Russian-speaking organised crime group involved in the illegal cigarette trade. The investigators seized over €1 million in cash, alongside 11 vehicles and hundreds of counterfeit cigarette cartridges.
07/05 Europol supported Spanish authorities in targeting an organised crime group allegedly laundering millions of euros of illegal profits from the trafficking of substandard saffron. More than 500 shipments of adulterated saffron have been identified, worth estimated €10 million.
