Police in Bosnia arrest 23 suspected members of drug kingpin's 'inner circle'
Law enforcement officers in Bosnia arrested 23 people suspected of belonging to a global drug kingpin's "inner circle” – a group that authorities believe may include police and security officials.
The swoop is the latest in a clampdown on criminal networks controlling much of Europe’s cocaine trade, authorities said Tuesday.
Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, and Bosnian officials said the suspects were detained Monday as security forces searched their homes and other locations. They are suspected of drug trafficking, money laundering and other organised crime offences.
“Among the 23 persons arrested yesterday are not only accomplices, but also corrupt officials identified as facilitators of the network’s criminal activities,” Europol said in a statement.
The drug kingpin whom the suspects are thought to be associated with was detained in 2022 and sentenced to seven years in prison a year later in the Netherlands.
Police seized guns, money, cars, laptops and other evidence during the raids.
Bosnian authorities previously arrested two other people and seized €55,000 euros, eight firearms, 11 police radios and money-laundering documentation, Europol said, adding that Monday's arrests were “another milestone” in the fight against the alliance of criminal networks.
In Bosnia, the state security agency SIPA said authorities temporarily froze bank accounts belonging to the suspects and halted any financial transactions.
