European Police Smash Lebanese Drugs, Money Laundering Network
European police have arrested six suspected members of a multi-national drug trafficking and money laundering ring and confiscated millions in cash, two police agencies in Europe said.
“More than eight European arrest warrants were issued against German, Dutch, Colombian, Lebanese and Turkish nationals suspected of being active members of this large and highly complex network,” the Hague-based European police and judicial co-operation agencies Europol and Eurojust said on Wednesday.
"Today, in total, six suspects were arrested and ten simultaneous house and company searches were conducted in five countries," it said.
Police and customs officials confiscated more than 2.5 million euros ($3.5 million) in cash, jewelry, watches, mobile phones and bank, real estate, diplomatic and administrative documents, as well as cocaine-making equipment.
"These operations mark the result of long investigations which started in Germany, and continued in France concerning an international network of Lebanese criminals, highly specialized in money laundering and trafficking large amounts of cocaine," the statement said.
Investigations also covered Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain and were sparked off when French customs officers discovered large quantities of banknotes in a Spanish vehicle during a random check in March last year.
Subsequent testing on the banknotes revealed significant traces of cocaine, said the statement.
"These investigations show these different criminal groups - drug producers, dealers, traffickers and money launderers work together worldwide in very close cooperation," it added.
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