Nearly 50 people have been arrested in a cross-border police operation targeting a drug trafficking network with Western Balkan members that investigators have linked to killings, kidnappings and grenade attacks across Europe.
The operation was carried out on 6 October 2026, when police searched 42 properties in Slovenia and Spain, with Croatian authorities also involved, Europol announced on Thursday.
Most arrests were made in Slovenia, where 34 suspects were detained, while one arrest was made in Spain and one in Croatia. A further 11 suspects had been arrested earlier.
Police seized 66 kg of drugs during the action day — 51 kg of cannabis and 15 kg of amphetamine — along with firearms, jewellery and cash.
Investigators said the network hid large drug shipments inside legitimate commercial freight, using legal loads as cover for illicit consignments.
When shipments failed, were seized, or disputes erupted, members of the group and their families were allegedly targeted with violent retaliation.
Killings, kidnappings and grenade attacks
The network has been linked to multiple shootings, murders and attempted killings, as well as the kidnapping of a group member, according to Europol.
Explosive devices, including hand grenades, were used in attacks that primarily targeted members of the group or their families.
An attempted murder in Spain was also uncovered during the investigation.
The group included nationals of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, alongside suspects from Slovenia, Bulgaria, Turkey and the Netherlands.
The network allegedly used encrypted communications platforms — including SKY ECC and CryptCom — to organise drug transports and communicate within the group.
Encrypted platforms are messaging services designed to make conversations difficult for outsiders to access.
Authorities said the group recruited drivers, mainly from Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria, to move drugs alongside legitimate goods using trucks, vans and cars.
Shipments of cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine, MDMA and methamphetamine were transported from Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain to other European countries.
Between February 2022 and September 2026, authorities seized 253 kg of cocaine, 404 kg of cannabis, 18.8 kg of methamphetamine and 825 g of MDMA, as well as 550 litres of acetic anhydride — a chemical used in drug production — and an automatic firearm fitted with a suppressor, ammunition and several pistols.
A coordination centre in Ljubljana supported the arrests in real time, and Europol provided analytical support during the investigation, which involved representatives from 22 countries.
