(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JANUARY 23 - Police forces of several Balkan countries have dealt a blow to organized crime groups operating in the region by arresting 72 suspected traffickers and 167 migrant smugglers in an operation led by Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization said in a statement on Wednesday. Authorities from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey participated in the operation. The operation, codenamed "Theseus", was carried out by 3,000 officers from immigration, police and by specialized units in border points, trains, bus stations and in other locations between December 9 and December 16.

During the operation, authorities identified 2,000 migrants and rescued 89 victims of human trafficking, found working in conditions of sexual exploitation, forced labour and forced begging, including seven minors, Interpol said. "Organized crime groups prey on the vulnerable and help them cross borders illegally for hefty sums. For some, the relationship ends on arrival but for others, it is only just the beginning of a bleak future of exploitation," said Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

Ten firearms, 60 kg of drugs, cash worth 200,000 dollars, smuggling vessels and inflatable boats were also confiscated.

More than 1,500 fraudulent passports and ID cards were also seized, "pointing to the strong reliance organized crime groups have on illegal documents in order to transport individuals from one country to another," Interpol added. (ANSA).