Europol arrests 500 people, seizes 2.8 tons of cocaine

European police have arrested more than 500 people, seized more than 2.8 tons of cocaine and several hundred vehicles in a series of actions against organized crime, Europol reported on Monday, reports the Patria News Agency.

Police from 28 EU countries and other European countries carried out a series of actions at 260 locations between May 4 and June 24 as part of Operation "Blue Amber", according to a Europol statement.

Customs officers and police seized 390 vehicles and about 110 kilograms of heroin and 1300 tons of stolen metal. The action was aimed at illegal trade carried out by containers, arresting people who smuggled drugs by plane from South America to Europe, and searching for drugs in shipments sent by mail from Pakistan or Afghanistan.

- The methods of hiding illegally smuggled items are diverse - from hidden cocaine in clothing items, shoe heels, or hiding heroin in medical instruments, the Europol statement said.

The operation also resulted in the arrest of numerous human traffickers, and a shelter for illegal immigrants was discovered in Hungary.