PARIS, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Interpol on Tuesday announced that 115 suspects were detained and scores of illicit arms in addition to drugs and cash worth 1.3 million euros (1.49 million U.S. dollars) had been seized during an operation across four countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Dubbed Trigger IV, the operation were carried out at known trafficking hotspots including land, air and sea border points in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco on Sept. 18-26, it said.
The world police body based in French central town of Lyon added that 17 people were arrested for firearms offences, 57 firearms were recovered, cash in several currencies totaling 1.3 million euros in addition to pure heroin and synthetic pills whose street value stood at nearly 200,000 euros have been seized.
An additional 98 arrests were made in relation to migrant smuggling, trafficking in illicit goods and other crimes, including a fugitive wanted by Belgium for organized crime and money laundering activities, according to Interpol's statement.
"Operations such as Trigger IV show first-hand what can be achieved when countries combine their efforts and share best practices against illicit firearms trafficking which we know is connected to other types of crime, including terrorism," he added.
The operation was conducted by Interpol's counter-terrorism unit under the framework of a project funded by the Government of Canada to support the Middle East and North Africa, with the participation of the World Customs Organizations (WCO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
A second phase of operational activity in the region is anticipated.
