One of Scotland’s most violent organised crime networks has been hit in an international operation across the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom, with coordination from Europol and Eurojust.
On 27 March 2026, authorities arrested 13 suspects linked to a network suspected of moving hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into Scotland and laundering millions in criminal profits.
The action day brought together authorities from Spain and the United Kingdom, with Europol deployed on the ground to support the enforcement phase. Authorities from the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye also contributed to the operation.
Violence, drugs and control
The gang is known for using violence to dominate territory and protect its criminal activity. Investigators believe it maintained control over parts of the United Kingdom through intimidation, retaliation and organised violence tied to drug trafficking.
While violence played out on the ground, senior figures operated from Spain and the United Arab Emirates, directing operations and managing profits at a distance. From there, they built an international money laundering network designed to hide the proceeds of serious crime.
Those profits are believed to stem from drug trafficking and violent offences carried out in the United Kingdom.
Results of the action day
The action on 27 March focused on disrupting the flow of criminal profits.
In Spain, addresses in the Malaga area and Barcelona were searched, and 5 suspects arrested, with searches ongoing.
In the United Kingdom, eight suspects were arrested in Lanarkshire, Glasgow and West Lothian.
In Türkiye, authorities seized two plots of land, one villa, as well as shares in a company. The real estate was estimated to be worth approximately EUR 600 000, and statements were taken from four Turkish citizens as witnesses.
Command structure under pressure
The investigation, supported by Europol since 2020, brought together authorities from multiple countries to track the network’s leadership, finances and international footprint.
Working closely through Europol, investigators analysed large volumes of data to identify key players and expose how the network operated across borders.
The investigation is still ongoing, and authorities are also examining a series of violent incidents, including shootings linked to organised crime conflicts originating in Scotland.
Coordinated strike against organised crime
Building on work carried out in previous years, an Operational Task Force was established at Europol in May 2024 to strengthen coordination, centralise intelligence and maintain sustained pressure on the network’s leadership and financial infrastructure.
Europol provided continuous operational support throughout the investigation, including advanced analytical work, cross-checks against its databases, and the facilitation of secure information exchange between the countries involved. Financial crime specialists supported efforts to trace assets, map illicit financial flows and identify the infrastructure underpinning the network’s money laundering activities.
On the action day, Europol deployed to Spain and Scotland to support enforcement activities on the ground and ensure real-time coordination between investigators. The agency also facilitated the deployment of Scottish investigators to Spain and Spanish investigators to Scotland. In addition, both Spanish and Scottish investigators were deployed to Europol’s headquarters to work jointly on operational targets.
Europol’s analysis of recently obtained encrypted communications provided further insight into the organisation’s structure, confirming that the organised crime group has maintained a stable command structure over time.
Judicial cooperation between the national authorities began in May 2024 at Eurojust, with the support of Europol. Authorities met several times over the two years to comb through large datasets to coordinate the investigations that led to today’s arrests.
