Smuggling gangs arrested on Italian and Polish borders

Italian police seize 500K euros worth of contraband cigarettes

Italian police have arrested 12 people and seized more than 500,000 euros worth of contraband cigarettes in a major operation targeting smuggling gangs operating on the border with Slovenia.

The operation, which involved searches of 10 locations in northern Italy, was the result of a two-year investigation by the Guardia di Finanza, Italy's financial police.

The cigarettes, which were being smuggled into Italy from Slovenia, were destined for the Italian market, where they would have been sold at a profit.

Polish police arrest 10 people in human smuggling operation

Polish police have arrested 10 people in connection with a human smuggling operation that was bringing people from Ukraine into Poland illegally.

The arrests were made in the eastern Polish city of Przemysl, which is located near the Ukrainian border.

The smugglers were charging people up to 1,000 euros to be smuggled into Poland, where they would then be able to claim asylum.

Both operations are part of a wider crackdown on smuggling and human trafficking

The operations in Italy and Poland are part of a wider crackdown on smuggling and human trafficking by law enforcement agencies across Europe.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of people attempting to smuggle goods and people across borders illegally.

This is due in part to the global economic crisis, which has led to increased poverty and unemployment in many countries.