As Part of 'Urus' Operation, Police Detained 14 People and Charged Nine

      Bratislava, 25 June (TASR) - The police have already detained 14 people as part of the large-scale operation codenamed 'Urus', Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) and Peter Brndiar of the Office for Combatting Organised Crime (UBOK) told a press conference on Thursday, adding that these individuals are believed to be members of the 'top echelons' of an international organised crime group.
        The police have also charged nine people, including eight in Slovakia and one from the Czech Republic, and filed four motions for custody. As part of the operation, they seized nearly five tonnes of hard drugs that should have been transported internationally.
        The police operation took place over the weekend (20-21 June) in five regions of Slovakia, including Bratislava, Trnava, Nitra, Presov and Banska Bystrica. Police conducted eight house searches. According to Brndiar, no one was injured during the operation. "As part of the investigation, we managed to document 16 international drug shipments," he said, noting that Slovakia served as a country where drugs were imported and handed over to other distributors or end users.
        Brndiar also pointed out that the seized drugs included more than four tonnes of ketamine, 220 kilogrammes of cocaine, 400 kilogrammes of MDMA, as well as hashish and ecstasy. According to him, the international criminal group operated not only in Slovakia but also in the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. "A significant portion was imported into Slovakia. We're talking about quantities measured in kilogrammes - ranging from one to three kilogrammes. In one case, we even have documentation of 20 kilogrammes of drugs," he stated.
        Brndiar maintained that members of the criminal group obtained financial gains of at least €800,000. During the operation, police seized drugs and anabolic steroids, firearms, electronic devices, cash and documentary evidence such as airline tickets and identification documents.
        "We also have evidence of other criminal activities committed by members of this criminal group. These are primarily violent acts such as extortion and kidnapping for ransom, which we'll now investigate in detail," he noted, adding that the evidence is so extensive that the Slovak police will have to request the formation of joint international investigative teams. Brndiar is convinced that they will uncover a much broader scope of the group.
        More than 170 police officers were deployed for the operation.