Police forces in Italy, Iran, and Sweden have disclosed a series of large-scale operations and public warnings centred on drug trafficking and the involvement of young people in organised crime. In Italy, a nationwide sweep across 44 provinces led to 539 arrests—47 of them minors—and the seizure of 703 kilograms of narcotics, including 41 kg of cocaine, 660 kg of cannabinoids, and smaller quantities of ketamine, oxycodone, and synthetic stimulants, according to the Italian state police. Officers also confiscated 49 firearms, 87 bladed weapons, and approximately €300,000 in cash, while identifying 973 social media profiles that glorified violence and hatred, two of which were referred to judicial authorities for possible blocking.

Iran’s anti-narcotics police chief, Brigadier General Iraj Kakavand, told a press conference that seizures of illicit drugs had risen 15 per cent this year, surpassing 103 tonnes, of which 10 tonnes were industrial methamphetamine. He said 388 armed trafficking bands operating in desert regions had been dismantled, eight principal members killed in clashes, and 230 weapons along with more than 4,800 vehicles seized. The financial blow to traffickers was estimated at 11,000 billion tomans. Kakavand also issued a specific warning to Arbaeen pilgrims travelling to Iraq: certain medications legal in Iran are prohibited there, and even a single banned pill can result in a judicial case and handover to Iraqi authorities.

Swedish police, meanwhile, reported a sharp increase in the number of Swedish gang criminals arrested abroad, with over 170 detained globally this year and more than 30 in Spain alone. Kristoffer Mueller, a commissioner at the police international unit, said the phenomenon no longer involved only gang leaders but also lower-level operatives and young recruits. He urged parents to watch for “deviant behaviour, new acquaintances that seem too good to be true,” noting that many young people are exploited and lured into crime quickly.

The Italian operation, coordinated by the Central Operational Service, involved checks on nearly 188,000 people, including over 19,000 minors, in nightlife areas, squares, parks, and near railway stations. Authorities inspected 1,182 premises, among them 24 reception centres for unaccompanied foreign minors, 117 gaming halls, and 543 commercial businesses. In addition to the arrests, 954 people were reported at liberty, and 506 administrative sanctions were issued, mainly for drug use and serving alcohol to minors. In Milan, two girls aged 15 and 17 were placed in custody for an aggravated robbery filmed and posted on social media; in Viareggio, four young people were investigated for a brutal assault that left a man with a fractured femur.

All three countries’ law enforcement bodies described the actions as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt drug supply chains and address the recruitment of minors into criminal networks. Investigations remain active, and authorities in each jurisdiction said further arrests and seizures were possible.