Arrests across Europe in international police operation against Nigerian cocaine traffickers

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP)_ European police say 10 people have been arrested and cocaine seized across the continent in an international operation against a Nigerian drug trafficking gang. In a statement Thursday, Czech police say the European police agency Europol has been co-ordinating the operation with police forces in the Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, Austria, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and Portugal. It said eight Czechs and two Nigerians were arrested in different countries, including the Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, Austria and Sweden. More arrests are still expected across Europe. Police say the gang’s organizers, who are among those arrested, hired poor people to smuggle high quality cocaine for low pay from Brazil and Colombia to various European countries. Eight kilograms (17.6 pounds) of cocaine was seized during the arrests. www.article.wn.com