Rome, 21 May 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Italian and Albanian authorities have arrested 52 people in a coordinated operation targeting the trafficking of cocaine and heroin between the Balkans, Northern Europe and the southern Italian region of Puglia, news agency ANSA reported.

Police seized assets worth millions of euros in the early Wednesday sweep, with suspects facing charges including international drug trafficking, money laundering, and abuse of office, according to the report.

The operation was led by Italy's anti-Mafia and anti-terrorism police in cooperation with the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust). Interpol also took part in the cross-border crackdown.

Photo: MIA archive