69 suspected Georgian mafia members arrested in huge crackdown in Europe

69 people have been arrested in a co-ordinated crackdown on the Georgian mafia across Europe. Most were detained in Spain after a year-long investigation. Arrests also took place in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, as well as France and Italy. The suspects are believed to be affiliated to a Georgian mafia network accused of a raft of crimes. These include money-laundering, extortion, drug trafficking and possessing weapons. Initial reports suggested those detained belonged to the so-called Russian mafia, as people from former Soviet states are often mistakenly referred to as Russians in the West.