18 nabbed in Europol cross-border crime swoop

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Eighteen people were arrested across northern Europe this week as part of a Europol police swoop aimed at cracking down on organised cross-border crime, Swedish police said Friday.

Authorities made arrests in connection with several seizures of "a large amount of narcotics", while other arrests were made for suspected money laundering.

"Police have arrested 18 people for crimes (and) a dozen vehicles and goods worth almost 5.3 million kronor (almost $500,000) have been seized, including a couple of million kronor in cash," police said in a statement.

The Europol action took place May 23-25 in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden.

Police nabbed three people belonging to international crime networks and six others were arrested for violations of national alien acts.

Stolen bicycles worth several million kronor were seized as well as a stolen yacht.

"Our focus has been to intercept entry and exit with criminal intent and to be able to detect crime, stop criminal plans and to reject people at the border who do not have the right to stay in the country," said Mats Palmgren of the Swedish police who led the action.

He hailed the "extensive exchange of information" between the countries involved in the effort. - AFP