18 detainees in an operation that dismantled a group that supplied arms to Portugal
At least 18 people were arrested during a police operation that dismantled a group suspected of providing more than 1500 firearms in several countries, including Portugal, Austria, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.
In a statement, the police coordination agency Europol said that a “detailed investigation” by the Dutch, Czech and Slovak authorities could reach a group of arms traffickers and detain 18 people in different European countries.
According to Europol, two members of this arms-trafficking gang in Slovakia, two in the Netherlands and two in the Czech Republic, were detained and considered suspects of “high value”.
The group specialized in converters such as ‘Flobert’ pistols, designed for recreational use, in lethal firearms, says Europol, noting that competent authorities believe that this group has supplied more than 1,500 weapons to various criminal groups in the Netherlands. , Austria, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Sweden and the Czech Republic.
The investigation began after the seizure of 22 firearms in February 2020 inside a transport vehicle bound for the UK from the port of Hoek van Holland, which belongs to the Rotterdam port complex.