Dozens of people were arrested across Europe in a major crackdown on Eastern European mafia led by Spanish authorities and dubbed “Operation Java”.
At least 24 were detained in Spain and another 50 arrested in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy for suspected ties to Georgian and Russian crime gangs. Various of the suspects are accused of arms and drug trafficking, money laundering, extortion and conspiracy to murder in Britain, Turkey, Ireland and Sweden.
The suspects are apparently tied to Zakhar Kalashov, an alleged Russian mafia boss who is on trial in Spain for money laundering, kidnapping, and arms and drugs smuggling. Kalashov was arrested in 2005 in the UAE.