TWO men and a woman have been arrested by the PSNI working in conjunction with police in Lithuania in a crackdown on the importation of heroin and people trafficking.
Five properties were searched in Belfast on Wednesday. A 40-year-old man and woman (39) were arrested under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
The woman was also arrested on suspicion of being involved in human trafficking. A 44-year-old man was arrested via a European Arrest warrant.
The 44-year-old man appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, the 40-year-old man remains in custody while the woman has been released on bail, pending further enquiries.
A PSNI spokesman said the gang "is believed to be responsible for trafficking large quantities of heroin" into the north and Republic.
"It is also believed that one of the members of this group, who is from Lithuania, is responsible for recruiting and trafficking people from Lithuania for drug trafficking and money laundering in Northern Ireland.
"The arrests and the seizure of cash and drugs-related paraphernalia would not have been possible without the close collaborative working of all the agencies involved."
The PSNI said that since 2014, it arrested 54 people with links to the targeted Lithuanian crime gang.
In 2018 a joint investigation team (JIT) was set up between Lithuanian authorities and PSNI with financial and analytical support from Eurojust. Authorities in the Republic also joined the JIT.
"This was a highly complex operation which has proven that taking a collaborative approach can definitely bring about very positive outcomes," the PSNI spokesman added.
"We all know that serious and organised crime groups pose a significant risk of harm to the people of Northern Ireland. They are responsible for bringing in drugs and they deal in fear and exploitation which can bring misery to many. Crime groups choose to exploit some of the most vulnerable people within our societies, preying on their vulnerabilities and exploiting them for their own ends.
"The only people to profit from are those at the top of the ‘drugs tree’. They are able to fund a lifestyle that we can only dream about. They don’t care that they have built their lavish life on the misery of those whose lives they have destroyed.
“The PSNI is determined to try and eradicate all harm caused to our communities and that is why our involvement in this joint operation is a priority."
