In a new major operation against international drug trafficking and money laundering, Eurojust and Europol have supported the competent Italian and German authorities with the arrest of 31 suspects in both countries, alleged to be part of the ‘Ndrangheta mafia, operating in different regions of Italy and abroad. Further to this, in the context of a joint investigation team (JIT) between Italy and Germany, 65 other suspects have been identified and their places were searched during a large-scale action, for which around 800 police officers and tax officials were deployed today in both countries.

Five members of a Slovak organised crime group (OCG) have been sentenced in the United Kingdom for up to eight years in prison for the exploitation of fellow nationals in a case of modern slavery and money laundering. Between 2008 and 2017, the victims were forced to work under appalling circumstances in British restaurant kitchens and car wash facilities, receiving only approximately EUR 25 for working weeks of up to 80 hours a week. In 2019, Eurojust organised and supported coordinated actions of the UK and Slovak authorities that led to the arrest of the five perpetrators.

At the request of the German authorities, Eurojust and Europol have assisted in bringing four different online investment scams to a halt, which defrauded thousands of victims for an estimated amount of approximately EUR 30 million. During a joint action day, six suspects have been arrested for organising a fake trading scheme in high-risk options and cryptocurrencies, using manipulated software to project victims’ alleged capital gains. The operation was rolled out on the ground in Bulgaria, Poland, Sweden, Latvia, Spain, North Macedonia and Israel.

Eurojust has supported an operation against large-scale VAT fraud, money laundering and forgery of documents, which have cost the Spanish tax authorities EUR 26 million in missed revenues. In record time, the Agency coordinated the judicial cooperation with Slovakia, Belgium and the Netherlands to halt the fraud scheme. The scammers had set up a series of fake companies to avoid paying VAT within the internal market. During an action day, 22 suspects were arrested and 24 places were searched. A total of 13 properties and 16 vehicles were seized, and tens of bank accounts were frozen.

Following a controlled delivery of drugs across Europe led by Romanian judicial and law enforcement authorities, coordinated arrests of ten suspected members of an organised crime group trafficking large quantities of heroin to Europe took place in Belgium, the Netherlands and Romania.

With the support of Eurojust and Europol, the French and Dutch authorities have taken down an international network of drug traffickers. Following up on a successful first operation by the French Gendarmerie in March, Dutch police searched several places in the Netherlands in the early hours of 26 May. One person has been arrested at the request of France based on a European Arrest Warrant. During the action day, the authorities dismantled an industrial-scale drug laboratory and seized several assets.

The Belgian court of Antwerp has sentenced three suspects in the so-called fipronil egg contamination case to prison sentences ranging from one year effective to 18 months suspended for endangering public health. The court awarded millions of EUR in of damages to the civil parties as well. In April this year, two Dutch suspects were sentenced to one year in prison for the illegal sale of the potentially harmful insecticide fipronil to poultry farms. Eurojust assisted with investigations into the case in 2017 and provided assistance in setting up and operating a joint investigation team (JIT) between Belgium and the Netherlands, to support judicial action against the suspects.

Authorities in Romania and the United Kingdom have taken decisive action against a criminal network, which exploited female victims for sexual purposes in Northern Ireland, using the so-called ‘lover-boy method’. During a joint action day, nine suspects were arrested in Romania and two in Northern Ireland. Female victims who were sexually exploited have also been identified and their rights and safety will be ensured. Eurojust provided the financial support to set up a joint investigation team (JIT) into the case and organised judicial cross-border cooperation.

An ancient and rare collection of almost 800 Apulian archaeological artefacts and pieces of pottery has been returned to Italy from Belgium, with crucial support from Eurojust. The archaeological goods illegally obtained by a Belgian art collector had been excavated without authorisation in Puglia, Italy. The collection, which dates as far back as 600 B.C., includes a rare Daunian stele, or funerary artefact, that had been shown at expositions in Paris and Geneva. Eurojust ensured the judicial cooperation between the two countries for the collection to return to the Puglia region. The collection has a preliminary estimated value of EUR 11 million.

As a result of a joint cybercrime investigation supported by Eurojust, Romanian and Dutch authorities have arrested two suspects in Romania who were allegedly involved in large-scale online fraud in the housing market in the Netherlands since 2015. The suspects posted fake advertisements for apartments for rent on online platforms and convinced hundreds of victims to pay one or two months’ rent without first visiting the property.