37 people from the Western Balkans were arrested under suspicions of being part of a “very violent” criminal gang, during an international police operation coordinated by Croatia. Europol says that the “powerful criminal cell” was mainly involved in large-scale drug and firearms trafficking across Europe.

The European Union’s law enforcement agency announced that 37 suspects, including the leader of this gang, a citizen of Bosnia and Hercegovina, were arrested after investigations. It is suspected that the leader of the gang organized the smuggling of drugs and firearms by giving orders to subordinates, even though he is currently serving a four-year prison sentence in Italy.

A number of raids was conducted in Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and Germany against suspected gang members. The police also seized 148,000 euros in cash, 18 firearms, including two assault rifles and 500 grams of TNT with remote detonators. Police also seized 15 kilograms of cocaine, 11 kilograms of heroin, as well as smaller quantities of other drugs.

The international investigation followed what Europol described as “a complex investigation” carried out by Croatian police as part of the Balkan Cartel Task Force.