29 people have been arrested in an operation coordinated by Europol, with the participation of the Civil Guard and the police authorities of Croatia, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia and Slovenia.
The organization was led by a member of the well-known Italian criminal organization 'Ndrangheta, with the majority of its members being of Montenegrin origin.
During the development of the operation, 6,1 tons of cocaine have been seized
TUSCANY-SEMINOLE Operation
The Civil Guard, in coordination with Europol and the police authorities of Croatia, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia and Slovenia, have dismantled a criminal group based in the Balkans dedicated to introducing large quantities of cocaine into Europe by sea. 29 people have been arrested in 37 searches in Montenegro, Italy, Serbia and Slovenia with the seizure of 6,1 tons of cocaine, thousands of euros in cash, several vehicles, boats and a gun with ammunition.
This investigation began in 2018 thanks to the seizure by the Portuguese authorities of 840 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a boat docked on the island of Horta, Azores Islands (Portugal).
Later, in the month of December of that same year, within the framework of an operation carried out jointly by the Organic Judicial Police Unit of the Civil Guard Command of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the Team Against Organized Crime of Alicante of the Central Operational Unit, a boat was located on the Island of Tenerife, whose crew maintained strong ties with clans in the Balkans dedicated to international cocaine trafficking by sea.
As the investigation progressed, said vessel was seized in May 2019 with 600 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside, again on the island of Horta (Azores). The two members of her crew, of Montenegrin and British origin, were detained by the Portuguese authorities.
At the same time, as a result of the operational work carried out by the Civil Guard in Spain, it was possible to find out how the investigated criminal organization had acquired a new sailboat in the province of Alicante.
After several months of investigation, at the beginning of 2020 through international cooperation work carried out by the Civil Guard, the Ivorian National Navy was able to seize 411 kilograms of cocaine in a port in the Ivory Coast (Africa), arresting 7 people Ghanaian and Montenegrin origin.
All the information obtained by the Civil Guard in these two arrests was provided to EUROPOL during the meetings held at its headquarters, which has been vital for the development of the recently concluded operation FLORIDA I, carried out by the Police Directorate of Montenegro . These authorities seized 5,1 tons of cocaine in 2020, on a cargo ship on the island of Aruba (Netherlands), and the 11 crew members, all of Montenegrin origin, were arrested.
Operation FLORIDA I was promoted by the Montenegrin Police and coordinated by EUROPOL, and during its development an officer from the Civil Guard was deployed to participate in the analysis and coordination tasks. Thanks to this, 37 searches were carried out in Montenegro, Italy, Serbia and Slovenia in which tens of thousands of euros in cash, several vehicles and boats and a weapon with ammunition were obtained.
Finally, on July 27, 2022, Operation FLORIDA I concluded with overall results of 29 people arrested and 6,1 tons of cocaine seized, with police forces from Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, and Portugal participating in its different phases. , Holland, Montenegro, as well as the Civil Guard.