AN0M app: Aussie-led sting nets 800 European arrests

Police from 16 countries have arrested more than 800 suspects and seized more than $48 million in the AFP’s “sting of the century”.

The Australian-led police sting of the century has led to 800 arrests in Europe.

Europol, the European Police Agency, called the operation the biggest coordinated police sting

of its kind.

Officials from Europol, the FBI, Sweden and the Netherlands gave details of the European leg of the global sting at a press conference held at The Hague.

A man is arrested during raids in Germany. Picture: Reinhard Roskaritz

Europol Deputy Executive Director Jean-Phillipe Lecouffe said police from 16 European countries had arrested more than 800 suspects under Operation Trojan Shield/Greenlight, seizing more than $48 million in cash and cryptocurrencies.

AFP Commander Jennifer Hurst said it was “an incredibly proud day for law enforcement”.

“This is a watershed moment in global law enforcement history and a testament to what can be achieved through collaboration and trusted international partnerships,” she said.

Investigators made arrests in the German city of Kassel. Picture: SPIEGEL TV

In the largest blow ever landed on organised crime in Australia, more than 100 people have been charged, 3366kg of drugs and $35.8m in cash seized and 72 firearms confiscated.

Thirty-five people were arrested and $3.7 million in assets seized in New Zealand, including senior members of bikie gangs.

More than 300 officers executed 37 warrants across Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Auckland, Central and Wellington Districts on Monday resulting in more than 900 charges.

A total of 20 ounces of methamphetamine, along with 8.6 kilograms of methamphetamine were seized at the border.

New Zealand Police National Organised Crime Group Director Detective Superintendent Greg Williams. Picture: Getty Images

Large bags of cannabis, multiple kilograms of iodine, four firearms, 14 vehicles and motorbikes, estimated over one million dollars in cash and number of mobile phones were also seized.

Operation Trojan Shield involved three major organised crime investigations and targeted the importation, sale and supply of methamphetamine, as well as money-laundering activities.

Senior members of the Waikato Comancheros, Waikato Mongrel Mob and Head Hunters were among those arrested.

New Zealand police began working with the FBI in January 2020 to monitor the communication of platform users in New Zealand.

“This is one of the most sophisticated law enforcement operations in the global fight against organised crime,” NZ Detective Superintendent Greg Williams said.

“It takes years to build these networks. Large-scale operations of this nature create enormous disruption and paranoia within organised crime groups because it breakdowns their communication channels that they use to evade law enforcement detection.”

European and US authorities are due to release details of operations there over the next 24 hours.

Canada, Estonia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, Great Britain and Germany are reportedly among countries that took part in the operation.

In Germany, up to 60 properties were raided in the state of Hesse alone, according to local news outlets.