Tito Gačanin sentenced to 7 years in prison for smuggling 2.5 tons of cocaine, will serve sentence in BiH, Dubai, or the Netherlands

(Patria) - Narco-boss Edin Gačanin Tito has reached an agreement with the Dutch judiciary, his lawyer Laura Versluis confirmed to media in that country.

He pleaded guilty on November 1, and the Court in Rotterdam accepted the agreement on November 16 and sentenced the leader of the powerful cartel to seven years in prison and a fine of one million euros. According to Istraga's information, Gačanin pleaded guilty on the condition that he serves his prison sentence in Dubai, the Netherlands, or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The verdict stated that Gačanin admitted to importing 2.5 tons of cocaine and about 7.7 tons of chemicals for the production of crystal meth into Europe through the port of Rotterdam.

In November last year, based on an arrest warrant from the Netherlands, Edin Gačanin Tito was arrested in Dubai, but was released very quickly under suspicious circumstances.

“These arrests are the culmination of parallel investigations conducted in Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates with the support of Europol. This criminal network is involved in large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering,” Europol announced at the time.

Police agencies announced at the time that “the scope of cocaine imports into Europe under the control and command of the suspects was enormous, and the police seized over 30 tons of drugs during the investigation”.

Edin Gačanin Tito often engaged BiH citizens for his operations, and according to documents published by Istraga, he controlled the delivery of large quantities of cocaine from Peru to Europe and Asia. This cartel, according to estimates by investigative bodies, traded in cocaine worth 23 billion euros. The net around Tito began to tighten when BiH citizen David Cufaj, known as Raul, was arrested in Peru. He was arrested in Peru for smuggling about two tons of cocaine. That cocaine was supposed to be smuggled into Europe for a person codenamed Tito. This was also stated in the verdict of the court in Peru.

Edin Gačanin Tito is a BiH citizen who started his narco business in the Netherlands, where he lived for years. After becoming one of the most powerful narco-bosses, Gačanin moved to Dubai, where he collaborated with Imperiale and the Kinahan family. Gačanin's security was long provided by members of the FUP Special Unit. Some left the police and moved to Dubai.