Police across five countries arrested 22 suspects in an operation that dismantled one of Europe's top criminal groups behind drug trafficking and assassinations, the EU's police agency Europol said Wednesday.

The operation codenamed "Icebreaker", which took place last week, led to the arrest of the 48-year-old Lithuanian ringleader in Spain as well as other suspects in Poland, Lithuania, Spain and Britain, Europol said.

The "highly professional and dangerous" gang was "involved in large-scale drug and cigarette trafficking, assassinations and money laundering," netting an estimated €680 million ($760 million) over the past two years, the agency added.

Nearly 450 police raided 40 properties, as well as hidden compartments used to smuggle drugs, seizing €8 million in cash, diamonds, gold bars, jewelry and luxury vehicles.

The gang made most of its money by trafficking drugs and cigarettes into Britain and then smuggling the cash to Poland, where it was laundered in currency exchange offices and invested in property in Spain and other countries, said Europol.

The operation, which also involved Estonian police, took place on May 15-16 and was the "biggest of its kind to date in Europe against such an organized crime group."

The group used "specialized encrypted communication devices" and counter-surveillance techniques to try to stay a step ahead of police, Europol said.

International coordination

Operation "Icebreaker" was coordinated on an international level by Europol and Eurojust and was the culmination of many months of meticulous planning between law enforcement and prosecuting agencies.

Initially started by Lithuanian authorities in 2016, the investigation was then referred to Estonia, Poland and Europol to help gather evidence against top-level members of the network. The investigation was then rapidly extended to the United Kingdom and Spain after criminal links were established in all those countries.



The creation of an Operational Task Force between all five countries and Europol in November 2018 led to carrying out one of the largest covert police operations to date against an organized crime group.

Europol's 'Wish you were here' postcards to villains Mamma mia! The Italian contribution plays on the country's strong culinary traditions. "Don't you miss the taste of real Italian cuisine?" it asks "Marco." The 37-year-old Marco Lauro is wanted for murder, drug trafficking and robbery.

Europol's 'Wish you were here' postcards to villains Creatures of the night Romania's postcard drew on the Dracula theme, promising "Gheorghe" a vampire parade on his return. "Come late at night, we will be waiting for you," it advises. Police want to speak to 49-year-old Gheorghe Clapon about theft by deception, money laundering and use of forgery.

Europol's 'Wish you were here' postcards to villains Hot on his heels The Polish postcard offered a less rosy prospect for Krzysztof. "We have reserved a big room you," it said, also promising him a meeting with a dragon in a cave. The 50-year-old Krzysztof Kus is wanted for assault and robbery and illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

Europol's 'Wish you were here' postcards to villains A serving of fries Belgium also sought to tantalize the tastebuds of its most wanted villain "Artur." The message extolls the superiority of Belgian fries and urges him to come back to enjoy them once more. Police are seeking 37-year-old Artur Nawrocki over drug trafficking charges.

Europol's 'Wish you were here' postcards to villains Self-assembly justice Sweden's design was inspired by instruction manuals from home furnishing giant Ikea, with instructions on how to bring about the arrest of "Simon." The 26-year-old Simon Rolf Arnamo is wanted on charges of murder and grievous bodily harm.

Europol's 'Wish you were here' postcards to villains Offline and unreachable Estonia's piece also had a corporate theme, featuring symbols from the online telephone service Skype. "Ernest" is told to get back in touch after being offline for a while. Police in the Baltic state would like to speak to 32-year-old Ernest Gammer about a charge of grievous bodily harm. Author: Richard Connor



av/rt (AFP, Europol)

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.