Edin Gačanin Tito Arrested: Europol Announces Arrest of BiH Drug Boss in Dubai

(Patria) - At the request of the Dutch Public Prosecutor's Office (OM), two men have been arrested in Dubai on suspicion of involvement in large-scale international drug trafficking. A request for the extradition of both suspects will be sent to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

One of the arrested individuals is a BiH citizen. It is reportedly drug boss Edin Gačanin Tito, writes Istraga.ba. Gačanin has been living in Dubai for years, controlling cocaine trafficking from there.

The arrests are part of an international operation coordinated by Europol.

The 40-year-old BiH citizen was arrested in Dubai as part of a major international police operation targeting cocaine smugglers. EUROPOL announced that a total of 49 suspects were arrested during this investigation. European police forces and the American DEA have identified them as "high-value targets" who formed a super cartel, known as the 'super cartel', which controlled about one-third of the cocaine trade in Europe.

Gačanin is not only suspected of importing large quantities of cocaine. He is also suspected of (preparing) to import nearly 8,000 kilograms of raw materials for the production of amphetamines. The raw materials for drug production arrived via the port of Antwerp and had a company in the Netherlands as their final destination.

The suspect likely played an important leading role in the import of illicit goods. This includes a shipment of approximately 1,800 kilograms of cocaine imported via the port of Hamburg in 2020 with the destination of the Netherlands.

Due to messages on Sky, it is also suspected that the man, as an organizer, broker, and financier, was involved in the import of 739.5 kilograms of cocaine from Durban (South Africa) to Rotterdam.

The second suspect is a 37-year-old man of Dutch and Moroccan nationality. He is being prosecuted by the Rotterdam Public Prosecutor's Office for importing thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the Netherlands in 2020 and 2021, participation in a criminal organization, laundering large sums of money, official corruption, and possession of firearms. The investigation into him began with deciphered messages from the Sky application.

These are serious criminal offenses indicating international drug trafficking, primarily from South America via the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. The arrested man is suspected of playing a significant coordinating role in cocaine imports. He has been under an international arrest warrant since April 2022 and is wanted by all Interpol member countries.