11 arrested in Europe-wide drug crime raids across five countries
In a coordinated operation targeting organized drug crime, police forces across Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain launched raids on residential and commercial properties early Thursday morning.
A total of 32 properties have been searched and 11 arrest warrants have been executed, the office for the prosecution of organized crime in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and local police in Bonn said in a statement.
Additionally, one person has been temporarily detained.
The operation primarily targeted the area around Cologne and Bonn in western Germany, the statement said.
Investigations are ongoing. The raids are part of a preliminary inquiry into suspected drug trafficking involving “significant quantities,” it said.
The goal of the operation is to secure evidence and assets related to the alleged criminal activities, the statement added.
