Kosovo police seize €80m in suspected drug money

A Europol-backed operation in Kosovo has seized about €80m in suspected criminal assets from an alleged drug trafficking network.

Five senior members of the group were arrested on 9 June after a three-year investigation.

Europol said the network used Kosovo as its base to run drug shipments across Europe and launder profits.

About 150 officers searched 76 locations during the raids.

Investigators said the group used encrypted Sky ECC messages to organise its activities.

Forty-two suspects have been investigated in the case, part of a European crackdown on criminal networks using encrypted communications.