A large-scale cocaine-smuggling network has been dismantled by authorities in Italy, Albania, Poland, and Switzerland in a joint operation coordinated by Eurojust. The criminal organization, which had been operating for at least four years, primarily focused on selling cocaine in northern Italy, particularly around the city of Brescia.

Coordinated Action Across Europe

The international operation, led by an Albanian-organized crime group (OCG), culminated in the arrest of 66 suspects. On the main action day, 45 individuals were apprehended, most of them in Italy. Prior to this, 21 additional suspects had already been arrested in connection with cocaine distribution in the Brescia area.

Eurojust, based in The Hague, played a key role in facilitating and coordinating the efforts of law enforcement agencies across the involved countries. Over 400 officers were deployed in Italy alone to execute the operation. Eurojust set up a coordination center to support the implementation of European Arrest Warrants and Mutual Legal Assistance requests, particularly towards Albania and Switzerland. Europol also provided critical support by managing the exchange of information and offering on-the-ground analytical assistance, including deploying a mobile office to Italy.