An undercover investigation conducted by a British animal charity has revealed the scale of the brutal European puppy smuggling trade.

The Dogs Trust discovered that European smugglers trafficking canines into the UK routinely force heavily-pregnant bitches and puppies to travel hundreds of miles in poor conditions.

Investigators from the charity also found that crooked vets are providing smugglers with faked pet passports and bogus vaccination stamps for underage puppies.

They also described hearing one dealer in Hungary boast of possessing 300 bitches producing puppies for the UK market.

The Dogs Trust noted how the UK government has failed to crack down on puppy smugglers since the charity first highlighted the illicit trade four years ago, and called on British lawmakers to use Brexit as an opportunity to update and strengthen pet travel rules, which are currently regulated by the European Union.

“Puppy smugglers are only concerned with making a profit, and the UK provides an attractive market because the high demand for ‘designer breeds’ converts into fast internet sales,” said Veterinary Director Paula Boyden.

“Importers are exploiting the lack of visual checks being made at the borders, and insufficient penalties for illegally importing puppies mean there is no real deterrent for these abhorrent crimes.”

The investigation resulted in the identification of new puppy smuggling trade routes from non-EU country Serbia, finding evidence of underage puppies being sold with EU microchips and pre-filled European passports and passed off as EU-bred animals for easier entry into EU countries.

Speaking last November, UK Environment Secretary Michael Gove said Brexit will allow the UK to crack down puppy smuggling.

“Once we have left the EU there is even more we could do,” Gove said in a written statement to Parliament.

“EU rules prevent us from restricting or banning the live export of animals for slaughter.

“EU rules also restrict us from cracking down on puppy smuggling or banning the import of puppies under six months.”

Organised criminal gangs have become involved in puppy smuggling over the past few years, attracted by the large profits that can be made from the trade, and the fact that being caught trafficking canines results in less severe punishment than other illegal activities such as drug smuggling and people trafficking.

The Dogs Trust has previously called for puppy smugglers to face stiffer penalties, noting how many are willing to risk the three months they could face in jail if they are caught attempting to sneak dogs into the UK.

A coalition of European law enforcement agencies have arrested scores of people suspected of being involved in a scam involving the illegal sale of Bluefin tuna in Spain.

Authorities from Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Malta took part in a Europol-backed operation that resulted in 79 individuals being detained and the seizure of more than 80 tonnes of illicit Bluefin tuna.

As well as the seizure of a significant amount of fish, the operation also resulted in the confiscation of €500,000 ($576,500), seven luxury vehicles, jewellery, watches and other valuable items.

It is thought the network behind the scam trafficked 2,500 tonnes of tuna a year.

Operation Tarantelo began after officers from Spain’s Guardia Civil were alerted to a number of irregularities relating to the fishing of Bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea.

This led to the discovery that large quantities of fish caught in Italian and Maltese waters were being traded illegally in Spain after being smuggled into the country via French harbours.

The members of the gang behind the scam are said to have made at least €5 on every kilo of tuna they sold, resulting in them raking in a total estimated profit of €12.5 million.

A number of people are reported to have fallen ill after eating tuna smuggled into Spain by the gang due to the unhygienic conditions in which the fish was transported and stored.

The smugglers used documentation from legitimate fish farms to illegally import their illicit tuna into Spain, where poor customs checks failed to identify the rogue Bluefin.

Illegally-caught hauls of fish were also discovered on boats in Spanish waters, on which smugglers are said to have transported the tuna in false bottoms under the deck of their vessels.

Europol supported the operation by providing analysis support, advice from environmental crime experts and by coordinating meetings for information exchange.

“The tuna business is often linked to other crimes such as food fraud or document fraud,” the agency said in a statement.

“The main risks for consumer health were due to the unsanitary conditions in which the fish was transported and stored. Sometimes the fish was hidden underwater after it was fished, awaiting transportation.”

In December last year, the Maltese Independent reported that five tonnes of Bluefin tuna were being smuggled into Malta every single week before being trafficked onwards to EU states including Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and France.

Europol has teamed up with a specialist counter-terrorism network made up of 38 units from the EU’s 28 member states and associated countries in a partnership designed to keep Europeans safe from attacks by extremists.

Responding to the rising threat posed by Islamist, right-wing and other extremists, Europe’s police force has signed an agreement with the Atlas Network, which was set up in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in 2001 as a platform via which EU law enforcement authorises can cooperate on counter-terrorism initiatives.

The agreement will see the Atlas Network establish a permanent support office at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague, which will be attached to the European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC), and will coordinate training exercises and the development of special tools for Atlas units.

The Atlas Network, which is financed and supported by the European Commission, works to improve cooperation between member units, enhancing their skills, delivering training and facilitating the sharing of best practice.

Speaking after the agreement was signed, Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said: “I am very pleased to open a new chapter of cooperation between Europol and the Special Intervention Units of the EU Member States gathered in the Atlas Network.

“I am sure that the closer relationship between Europol and Atlas will bring added value to the preparedness of the law enforcement community and therefore for the safety of all European citizens.”

She went on to say that Europol is committed to supporting Atlas with the development of new projects, such as the establishment of joint training activities and the pooling of resources.

Separately, Finnish news outlet Yle Uutiset reports that Finland’s police rapid response unit and border guard are participating in the Atlas Common Challenge, an international anti-terrorist training operation that seeks to test EU member states’ preparedness for attack situations.

The exercises, which are taking place in the Baltic Sea this week, are designed to assess and improve the agencies’ ability to respond effectively to the staged hijacking of a German navy vessel.

Finnish police said the purpose of the three-day exercise is to strengthen cooperation between authorities and to maintain the skills of Special Forces.

Elsewhere, the Slovak Spectator tells readers that another Atlas Common Challenge event is taking place today in Komarno, during which Slovak anti-terrorism police will respond to a simulated public event attack and hostage situation.

“The entry to the event is free of charge, but minors have to be accompanied by an adult,” officials organising the exercise said.

“We do not recommend visiting the event to people of a sensitive nature, as explosive devices and firearms will be used around the fortress as part of the programme.”