Police Bust 11 in Balkan Cocaine Ring, Including Alleged ‘Pink Panthers’ Jewel Thief

Croatia reported Wednesday that 11 members of a criminal group responsible for smuggling South American cocaine into Europe had been arrested by police in the Balkans. The latest crackdown against drug traffickers is underway. One suspect is wanted for his alleged involvement with the notorious “Pink Panthers” jewel heisting group.

The interior ministry of Croatia released a statement saying that during the raids on Tuesday, police confiscated weapons, large amounts of ammunition, luxury vehicles, and cash.

For years, criminals have been using the Balkans Route as a transit route to smuggle drugs, weapons, and people from Eastern Europe into Western Europe.

In the statement, it was stated that eight suspects were arrested in Serbia. Bosnia and Croatia also captured two, while Bosnia took another.

In the statement, it was stated that “The cocaine sellers used different maritime routes… and were connected to the seizure of more than 500 kg (1,102 pounds of coca) in 2021 at Croatia’s Port of Ploce. “

The drugs were hidden in a container. They could have had a street worth of up to 53 million euros. The ministry released images of packages containing cocaine.

According to the ministry, this seizure showed that “international drug smuggling organizations increasingly target smaller EU port”.

According to 60 Minutes, the Pink Panthers committed crimes in dozens of countries. Some of their members were in the Serbian Special Forces in the Bosnian Wars.

In the last few months, members of Balkan cartels and gangs have been implicated as major drug traffickers.

Europol said that many of the members of the drug-smuggling ring were from the Balkans.

Tomislav Stamabuk is a Croat police officer who stated that a “serious assessment” showed the Balkan cartel responsible for more than 50% of the cocaine in Europe.

The Spanish police announced in a month that they had brought down a major drug network operating out of Latin America. The arrests were part of a larger international operation that involved 50 arrests in eight countries.