Europol: Europol supported an operation targeting a criminal network suspected of trafficking horses across Europe using falsified passports and manipulated microchips, the EU law enforcement agency said Thursday.

According to Anadolu Agency, nearly 200 officers and representatives from different authorities took part in the operation between Sept. 8 and 9 in Belgium, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The investigation, led by Belgium, focuses on a suspected large-scale trade in horses whose identities and histories were allegedly manipulated to allow them to be moved and resold across Europe.

Some of the horses may have been diverted into the food chain without their true origins and histories being known, according to Europol. Investigators suspect forged horse passports and manipulated microchips were used to conceal where the animals came from, their previous histories, and whether they were eligible to enter the food chain.

Authorities carried out 24 searches during the operation: four in Belgium, six in Ireland, seven in France, and seven in the Netherlands. More than 1,000 horses were checked, while evidence seized during the searches is being analyzed. Authorities are working to establish the final destinations of the animals and identify other individuals potentially involved in the suspected network.

Europol supported the investigation by facilitating information exchange between the participating countries and providing operational coordination and analytical support. Given the suspected links to the food chain, Europol also provided expertise developed through Operation OPSON, which focuses on trafficking in counterfeit and substandard food and beverages. The agency deployed experts to Belgium and Ireland during the operation to cross-check operational information against its databases and facilitate real-time information exchange between participating countries.

The investigation remains ongoing.