Italian and Spanish authorities arrested Tuesday33 suspected members of a global money laundering network that operated at the behest of South American cartels and seized almost 20 million euro (US$21.4 million) of their assets.

Italian authorities said on Monday that they have fished out nearly two tonnes of cocaine packed in waterproof packages that were floating in the sea near the eastern coast of Sicily.

On request of EU prosecutors, Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) in Palermo placed 12 suspects of corruption and fraud under house arrest on Tuesday and rdered another 10 to report to the judicial police in connection with the misuse of EU funds.

Italian police seized 82 tonnes of counterfeit cigarettes and arrested one person during a raid of an abandoned factory in the industrial area of Pomezia, close to Rome, where officers found machinery and materials for the production of cigarettes and several foreign workers, including a number of Ukrainian refugees.

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), Italian police seized 10 luxury cars and 45 luxury and vintage motorcycles from a man who allegedly smuggled them into the EU, evading the equivalent of US$275,000 in customs duties and VAT.