International Cops Arrest Hundreds of Fraudsters, Money Launderers and Cocaine Kingpins
Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:
https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/29/europol_fraud_drug_arrests/
Europol has arrested hundreds of fraudsters, money launderers and cocaine kingpins, and shut down thousands of websites selling pirated and counterfeit products in a series of raids over the past month.
As of Cyber Monday, law enforcement agencies had taken down 12,526 websites, disconnected 32 servers used to distribute and host illegal content for 2,294 television channels, and shut down 15 online shops selling counterfeit products on social media sites. Additionally, cops across several continents seized 127,365 fake designer watches, shoes, accessories, clothes, perfumes, electronics, phone cases and other counterfeit products worth more than 3.8 million ($3.9 million).
This was part of a recurring Europol-led operation dubbed "In Our Sites" targeting intellectual property infringement on trademarks and pirated streaming content.
"Key findings of the operation that took place from May 1 to November 14 also show that more counterfeit products are being assembled within the European Union's borders and that intellectual property crime is closely intertwined with serious and organized crime," the European cops said.
In one action, Spanish police arrested four individuals and charged one for their roles in a cyber crime ring dedicated to large-scale marketing and distribution of pirated audio-visual content. They also disconnected 32 servers and seized cash, documents and two luxury vehicles, according to Europol.
[...] In addition to Operation In Our Sites, law enforcement across Europe and the United Arab Emirates earlier this month carried out raids targeting the command-and-control center and drug trafficking infrastructure belonging to a "super cartel" that controlled about one third of the cocaine trade in Europe.
Law enforcement seized more than 30 tonnes of drugs and arrested 35 suspects in Dubai, Spain, France and Belgium, according to Europol. The arrests were the result of parallel investigations run in Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UAE, and Dutch police arrested 14 suspects last year as part of this same global operation.
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