Balkan and European police target organized crime syndicates

Law enforcement agencies across the Balkans and Central Europe are conducting multiple operations targeting organized crime, including drug trafficking, usury, and fraud.

In Austria, the Graz Regional Court heard cases against Slovenian and Serbian nationals involved in an international car leasing fraud scheme that operated across several Austrian provinces. The group allegedly used falsified documents to lease vehicles and resell them throughout the Balkans.

In Montenegro, police are investigating 22 separate cases of usury, where individuals are suspected of trapping citizens in debt slavery through threats and extortion. Additionally, Budva police arrested a Serbian national using false Croatian identity documents during a drug bust involving marijuana, hashish, and ecstasy.

In Croatia, authorities in Zagreb arrested two Serbian nationals for a series of thefts targeting shops and gas stations near the city, resulting in over 20,000 euros in damages. Meanwhile, in Rijeka, local clubs have distanced themselves from illegal car gatherings organized by external groups.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Prosecutor's Office has filed indictments against individuals accused of laundering money from drug and arms trafficking through real estate and luxury vehicle purchases. In the Tuzla Canton, police conducted raids to combat illegal coal mining, seizing machinery and significant amounts of cash.