Lithuania's police contribute to intl operation busting armed gang of 23 persons

VILNIUS – Lithuania's police said on Wednesday it was involved in an international operation which led to the exposure of an armed gang of 23 persons who were involved in arms and drugs smuggling.

The gang is also suspected of having organized the murder of Kaunas resident Deimantas Bugavicius in 2015.

"The persons are suspected of having organized and carried out the mentioned murder, and having also possessed firearms, narcotic substances, having organized smuggling of arms and narcotic substances, and are also suspected of money laundering," Lithuania's Police Commissioner General Linas Pernavas told journalists on Wednesday.

The operation involved law enforcement officers from Lithuania, Poland, Spain, Estonia and the United Kingdom. There are Lithuanian citizens among the detainees, including the gang's suspected leader who was detained in Spain.

Some 40 searches were carried during the investigation and around 8 million euros in cash, diamonds, gold bullions and jewelry were seized.

The police say they have sufficient evidence to suspect the gang laundered around 0.5 billion euros.

Pernavas said the Bugavicius murder investigation led to the gang's exposure. Bugavicius was shot dead in his car in Kaunas on November 6, 2015.

Lithuania's law enforcement earlier said it detained foreign citizens suspected of this murder in August. Bugavicius was known to Lithuania's police and, based on media reports, was linked to the Agurkiniai gang in Lithuania.