BRUSSELS, Feb 10 (Reuters) – A criminal network which trafficked cocaine from South America to Iceland has been busted, said the pan-European police body Europol on Tuesday.
Europol said action taken against the network at the start of this month had resulted in 24 arrests.
Eleven of those arrested were in Iceland, six others were arrested in Lithuania, while four were arrested in Spain. Two others were arrested in Belgium, with one further arrest made in Denmark.
Europol said the gang had been co-ordinating the movement of cocaine from South America to Iceland, via Spain.
“Couriers allegedly concealed cocaine in their luggage, or smuggled it internally by swallowing drug packages. In some cases, the drugs were transported in liquid form,” said Europol in a statement.
“Once in Iceland, the drugs were distributed locally by the criminal network. The illicit revenues coming from the drug trafficking were allegedly laundered through real estate and other properties in Lithuania,” it added.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Edited by Benoit Van Overstraeten)
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