(Credit: europol.europa.eu)  A total of six individuals – all Estonian nationals – were arrested over the course of the past two years for violent armed robberies across Europe.

DIPLOMATIC  TIMES STAFF REPORT

THE HAGUE  –  An organised crime group behind a string of violent armed robberies committed across Europe has been dismantled as a result of an international investigation facilitated by  The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation  (Europol).   A total of six individuals – all Estonian nationals – were arrested over the course of the past two years. The smash-and-grab gang, armed with large hammers and a handgun, would hold up at gunpoint the employees of jewellery shops, before breaking the glass counters and running off with the jewellery, according to Europol. 

The organised crime group has been linked to two robberies in Bastia (France) in 2016 and 2017, one attempted robbery in Venice (Italy) in 2017 and one robbery in Innsbruck (Austria) in 2017.

The investigation into these robberies was carried out by the French Police (Police Nationale), together with the Italian Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri), the Austrian Federal Police (Bundespolizei), the Finnish Police (Poliisi) and the Estonian Police (Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet).

The international coordination was carried out by Europol who brought together in 2017 the national investigators who have since been working closely together. Since then, Europol has provided continuous intelligence development and analysis to support the field investigators.  The  operation was carried out in the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT).