Two criminal groups operated from an Antwerp restaurant
Two criminal groups operated from an Antwerp restaurant
The police forces of Belgium and Spain have dismantled two criminal groups. They are suspected of drug trafficking, arms smuggling and more. Thirty suspects were arrested. raids were also made. Their headquarters was in Antwerp.
It concerns a criminal organization that worked from Antwerp, where different families worked together. They are said to have been guilty of burglaries, smuggling weapons, counterfeiting money, and drug smuggling. Europol reports this on Thursday.
A restaurant in Deurne acted as a secret location for the drug trade. Several members of the group used the restaurant as a meeting space.
The main suspect was in charge of a criminal organization with a family structure. It was composed of various family members and other contacts who played different roles within the organization. Most members had both Belgian and Albanian or Kosovar nationality.
Police discovered that the group was in close contact with a second criminal network, led by a man of Spanish nationality, from Sint-Gillis-Waas in Belgium. It was concerned with the illegal import of hashish from Spain and the removal of shipments of cocaine from the port of Antwerp.
The group had access to several corrupt employees in the vicinity of the port. Relatives of this leader were guilty of money laundering in the regions of Almeria and Granada.
To avoid getting caught, members of the groups used encrypted communications, fake IDs, and vehicles with fake registrations. They are suspected of laundering criminal profits through legal companies and real estate companies, based in Albania, Belgium and Spain.
The day of action on May 10 consisted of 42 house searches, resulted in 30 arrests, while the said restaurant was closed. They found cocaine, hash and weed, and weapons, ammunition, silencers and bulletproof vests. In addition, forged documents and mobile phones.
Finally, 14 vehicles were seized, a camper, luxury watches, an amount of 50,000 euros in a bank account, and about 60,000 euros in cash. Europol coordinated the action.
Found this interesting? Then check our main news page where you can find all articles related to Crypto, Crime, Darknet, Security and much more!
