Over 70 properties were searched in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland on Friday, when the arrests were also made, the police in the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate wrote in a statement. Sweden, France and Italy were also involved in the investigation.
The detentions came as a result of an investigation that began in 2020, after a former military bunker in western Germany was closed. It must have been connected to sites where drug dealing and other illegal activities were carried out, including the Exclu app which has now been closed.
According to German authorities, the service has existed as a mobile app at a cost of 800 euros, roughly 9,000 kroner, for six months. An estimated 3,000 people were users, of which 750 were in the Netherlands, whose police also participated in the investigation.