Nearly 50 suspects have been arrested in an international operation targeting a drug trafficking network with Western Balkan members, linked to killings, kidnappings and grenade attacks across Europe.

The Europol-supported investigation uncovered a network suspected of hiding large drug shipments in legitimate commercial freight. When shipments failed, drugs were seized or disputes erupted, members of the group and their families allegedly became targets of violent retaliation.

The operation culminated on 6 October 2026, when police searched 42 properties across Slovenia and Spain. Investigators from these two countries worked alongside Croatian authorities, with arrests coordinated in real time from a Europol-supported coordination centre in Ljubljana.

The arrests were carried out across the following countries:

• Slovenia: 34 arrests
• Spain: 1 arrest
• Croatia: 1 arrest

Eleven suspects had previously been arrested. During the action day, authorities seized 66 kg of drugs - 51 kg of cannabis and 15 kg of amphetamine- firearms, jewellery and cash.

Drug losses followed by violent retaliation

Investigators linked the network to multiple shootings, murders and attempted killings, as well as the kidnapping of a group member. Explosive devices, including hand grenades, were used in attacks primarily targeting members of the group or their families.

The suspects allegedly used violence to recover from losses, punish those held responsible and enforce control over the network’s activities. The investigation also uncovered an attempted murder in Spain.

The group included nationals of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, alongside suspects from Slovenia, Bulgaria, Türkiye and the Netherlands.

Encrypted communications and legal deliveries concealed illicit shipments

The members of the criminal network used highly secure encrypted communication platforms, including SKY ECC and CryptCom, to coordinate drug transports, communicate with other members and attempt to conceal their criminal activities from law enforcement.

The network allegedly recruited drivers, mainly from Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria, to transport drugs alongside legitimate goods, using trucks, vans and cars.

Shipments of cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine, MDMA and methamphetamine were moved from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain to other European countries. Established commercial routes provided cover for the trafficking, while legal deliveries generated income and reduced transport costs.

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. They also confiscated 550 litres of acetic anhydride, a chemical precursor used in drug production, an automatic firearm fitted with a suppressor, together with ammunition and several pistols.

However, the investigation revealed that the criminal activities went far beyond the quantities physically seized. Evidence obtained from SKY ECC communications, together with other evidence collected during the investigations, enabled authorities to reconstruct and link additional drug transports and transactions to members of the organised crime groups.

As a result, the suspects are expected to be prosecuted in connection with an additional approximately 2.5 tonnes of cannabis, 474 kg of cocaine, 104 kg of heroin, 30 kg of amphetamine, 11.6 kg of MDMA, 1 kg of ketamine, 1 kg of hashish, 18,000 ecstasy tablets and 1,000 units of psychoactive mushrooms. Investigators also identified 45 litres of oil intended for the production of amphetamine.

These findings show that the quantities actually seized represent only part of the overall drug trafficking activity uncovered during the investigations.