Police arrest 11 linked to Balkan cocaine ring, including alleged member of "Pink Panthers" jewel heist gang

Police in the Balkans arrested 11 alleged members of a criminal syndicate responsible for smuggling cocaine from South America to Europe, Croatia said Wednesday, in the latest effort to crack down on traffickers. Among the people arrested was a suspect who is also wanted for his alleged membership in the notorious "Pink Panthers" jewel heist gang.

The arrests were carried out during raids Tuesday that saw police seize weapons, large amounts of ammunition along with luxury cars and cash, Croatia's interior ministry said in a statement.

The so-called Balkans route is a vital transit network long used by criminals to smuggle drugs, weapons, and people into western Europe.