The latest actions under Operation Trivium, a multicountry operation against organised property crime on Europe’s road networks, has resulted in 174 arrests and the seizure of goods throughout Europe.
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The threeday operation saw law enforcement from 17 countries carrying out roadside checks on people and vehicles, as well as searching premises.
Europol supported the operation by sharing information on the subjects, vehicles and modus operandi behind the criminal groups in realtime. Operation Trivium is organised under the umbrella of the EMPACT security initiative.
In the space of only a few days, law enforcement authorities were able to carry out several interventions that disrupt organised property crime. 783 specific targets, consisting of individuals and properties, were identified and checked by law enforcement as part of the operation.
These checks happened along with wider roadside checks of over 16 000 vehicles and 25 000 individuals, which meant criminal activity could be intercepted in a number of areas.
Although most arrests related to organised property crime, arrests were also made in relation to drugs, weapons, and violations of immigration legislation.
Police also deployed methods such as automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and monitoring drivers for suspicious behaviour as part of Operation Trivium XV.
In one case in Belgium, a car caught investigators’ attention for driving aggressively; police found thousands of euros in cash, as well as large quantities of cocaine and cannabis, and an alarm pistol.
In a separate search, Belgian police uncovered over EUR 70 000 divided into several small bundles; the driver later admitted the unexplained cash was the result of trafficking drugs between Belgium and Germany.
Operation Trivium first started in 2013, and seeks to disrupt organised property crime on Europe’s road networks. Countries involved were: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain and Sweden. ■