Spain police arrest 197 in global crime bust

In a statement from the Spanish National Police press department, it was reported that most of those arrested were from 34 different countries, the majority being Europeans, and that 33 of them were linked to crimes such as drug trafficking, fraud, sexual offenses, and other violent crimes, and were individuals evading justice.

The statement explained that the operations, co-financed by the Spanish police and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, were carried out as part of 29 investigations. It noted that searches were conducted in 114 homes and workplaces, resulting in the seizure of more than 8 tons of drugs, dozens of firearms and knives, 57 vehicles, properties, and more than 22 million euros in cash.

Also highlighted that the operations received contributions from various organizations, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the European Judicial Cooperation Agency (EUROJUST), and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX), as well as police departments from Portugal, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Serbia, and Slovenia.

It was further stated in the announcement that the 197 individuals arrested were citizens of various countries, including Albania, Germany, Algeria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Slovakia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Morocco, Nigeria, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Somalia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Lebanon, Uruguay, and Venezuela.