Authorities break up Europe-wide arms smuggling ring

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• French and Swiss investigators have dismantled a Europe-wide arms network.
• Ten suspects were arrested, and assets worth more than 1.2 million euros were seized.
• The group is alleged to have smuggled realistic-looking firearms from Turkey into various European countries.

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French and Swiss authorities have dismantled a Europe-wide arms smuggling ring. During operations in southern France, ten suspects were arrested and assets worth over 1.2 million euros were seized.

The coordinated operations took place between June 8 and 11 in southern France, as the European police agency Europol in The Hague announced on Tuesday. According to the report, the French police and the Swiss Federal Police (Fedpol) were involved in the investigation.

The investigation began in June 2025, the statement added. At that time, investigators discovered two counterfeit pistols in a luxury car traveling from Switzerland to France. This led to the uncovering of a network consisting mainly of Turkish nationals.

During searches of seven properties in French cities such as Fréjus, Cannes, and Nice, law enforcement officials seized, among other things, counterfeit firearms, three luxury vehicles, jewelry, computers, and approximately 30,000 euros in cash, according to Europol.

The alleged leader of the network was arrested in Slovakia and extradited to Turkey in early 2026. Despite his detention, investigators suspect that he continued to direct the network’s activities through accomplices across Europe.

According to authorities, the network specialized in smuggling counterfeit and modified weapons from Turkey into the EU. These weapons were industrially manufactured and virtually indistinguishable from genuine firearms.

Authorities believe the network generated substantial profits by supplying these weapons to criminal actors across Europe. Members of the group lived in luxurious villas and apartments in southern France and used high-end vehicles for their criminal activities, Europol added.