In a significant coordinated international operation involving efforts across five European nations, law enforcement officials apprehended 24 individuals suspected of being part of a dangerous drug trafficking organization. The operation included extensive searches at over 41 locations, resulting in the seizure of various narcotics, including cocaine, MDMA tablets, ketamine, and methamphetamine, along with equipment such as marijuana grinders, money, cryptocurrency wallets, mobile phones, and other electronic devices. This highlights the scale and sophistication of the drug network that utilized multiple methods for transporting drugs, often employing vulnerable individuals as drug mules.

The investigation unveiled that the trafficking group was in possession of over 39 kilograms of cocaine, 5,100 MDMA tablets, and 1 kilogram each of ketamine and methamphetamine. Law enforcement noted that the drugs were concealed in various ways, either hidden in luggage, internally transported, or disguised in liquid form, indicating a well-organized operation aimed at evading detection. The group primarily relied on social outcasts to recruit as couriers, which raises concerns about the exploitation of vulnerable populations in drug trafficking activities.

On the day of the well-coordinated actions, in Lithuania alone, six suspects with ties to organized crime were arrested. All detainees are now in custody, and preliminary measures have been instituted, with the most severe being pre-trial detention for three individuals. The operation not only demonstrates the effectiveness of international collaboration in combating organized crime but also underscores the ongoing challenges presented by sophisticated drug trafficking networks that exploit societal weaknesses.