The 'historic' operation is finalized/ The biggest super-cartel that supplied Europe with cocaine is destroyed, 49 arrested on two continents. The big bosses are caught in Dubai, hundreds of thousands of euros are seized

A major drugs 'super-cartel' that controlled a third of Europe's cocaine trade has been busted by police officers, with 49 arrests in total, in countries including France and Dubai.

The 'historic' international operation seized 30 tonnes of cocaine, as well as the gang's supercars, luxury villas and large sums of cash.

Spanish police said the leader of the organization is a "British national" who left his former base on the Costa del Sol for Dubai, where the Kinahan organized crime group is based, after an attempted kidnapping. Later, it is reported that he was arrested in Dubai.

The international effort also included arrests in France, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands, the EU police agency said in a statement.

"Drug cartels considered the most valuable targets by Europol had joined together to form what was known as a 'super cartel' controlling around a third of Europe's cocaine trade. The scale of cocaine imports into Europe under the control and command of the suspects was massive and over 30 tonnes of the drug were seized by law enforcement during the investigations," the EU law enforcement agency Europol announced.

Europol said Dubai had arrested two "significant" suspects linked to the Netherlands, two others linked to Spain and two others linked to France.

"One of the Dutch suspects is an extremely big fish," a Europol source told French newspaper AFP on condition of anonymity.

Dhjetë persona u arrestuan në Belgjikë, gjashtë në Francë dhe 13 në Spanjë. 14 persona të tjerë u arrestuan në vitin 2021 në Holandë si pjesë e të njëjtit operacion, tha Europol.

Policia spanjolle tha se më shumë se 500,000 euro u konfiskuan gjatë një bastisjeje në një seri vilash luksoze në Spanjë, së bashku me tre armë, makina super të shtrenjta dhe ora luksoze.

Garda Civile thotë se disa nga automjetet kishin vlerë rreth 300,000 euro.

Pamjet e publikuara nga Garda Civile sot treguan oficerë të armatosur rëndë që hynë me forcë në pallate ku bënë disa nga arrestimet dhe morën të dyshuarit në pranga.

Në Spanjë, Garda Civile tha se operacioni i tyre, i quajtur Operacioni Faukas, kishte filluar me sekuestrimin e 700 kilogramëve kokainë në portin e Valencias në mars 2020.

Një zëdhënës i policisë spanjolle tha: “Gjatë hetimit, oficerët zbuluan se një organizatë kriminale po kontrabandonte kontejnerë me kokainë përmes porteve të Barcelonës, Valencias dhe Algeciras”.

“Ata zbuluan gjithashtu se një biznes kompleks i pasurive të paluajtshme ishte organizuar në Costa del Sol për të pastruar të ardhurat nga fitimet e marra nga kontrabanda e drogës.

"The leader of this organization was identified as a British man who lived on the Costa del Sol, but who had to leave Spain and go to Dubai after being the subject of an attempted kidnapping.