POLICE in Italy have arrested 19 people, most from Tanzania, in an investigation into a heroin ring involving more than 150 suspects in Africa, Asia and Europe.
Carabinieri police said the arrests stemmed from a probe begun in 2012 with a heroin seizure in Perugia, a university town in central Italy.
Investigators say one ringleader is a Tanzanian who, from his base in Poland, directed heroin shipments from Asia to Italy for street sales.
Since the investigation began, 144 drug couriers have been arrested.
Initially using Africans, traffickers later employed Italians, Greeks, Spaniards, Bulgarians and Hungarians as drug couriers.
Police say couriers reached Italy aboard cargo boats, planes, trains, buses and taxis.
Heroin worth €35 million (£29.6m) and cocaine worth €4.2m (£3.6 m) has been seized during the course of the probe.
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