Swiss police help smash international drug ring
More than 50 people have been arrested and large quantities of heroin, cocaine and marijuana have been seized following a joint police operation launched in 2015, involving Switzerland, Austria and Serbia.
In total, police confiscated ten kilogrammes of heroin, 0.78kg cocaine and 140kg of marijuana, the St Gallen cantonal police force said in a statement External linkon Tuesday. The announcement follows a press conference by the Austrian interior minister. In Switzerland, 35 people were arrested.
The St Gallen police had provided information for the long-running investigation after two Serbian dealers were arrested at Rorschach, St Gallen, in 2015. During their arrests, the police uncovered heroin, cash and drug-related materials. The subsequent investigation found that the two men were part of an international drug ring, whose members originated mainly from the Serbian city of Nis.
The St Gallen, Austrian and Serbian forces together worked to dismantle the drug ring and arrested a total of 54 people, including the head of the gang and those responsible for logistics, the heads of smaller cells and drugs mules. In Switzerland, 30 of the people arrested have been tried and deported after completing their sentences. The head of the ring and his four closest collaborators are still in custody.
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