Police authorities in six countries dismantled a “super cartel” of drug traffickers that controlled about a third of Europe’s cocaine trade and arrested 49 suspects, Europol said on Monday.
In a statement, Europol said 49 people were arrested during the investigation, with the latest operations being carried out between 8 and 19 November in Europe and the United Arab Emirates.
According to the European Police Office, the police forces involved in “Operation Desert Light” targeted the “command and control center as well as the logistical infrastructure of the drug trade in Europe”.
More than 30 tonnes of drugs were seized during investigations carried out with the support of Europol in Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration also played a major role in dismantling the organization, which according to Europol was also involved in money laundering.
“The scale of cocaine imports into Europe under the control and command of the suspects was enormous,” said Europol, adding that the suspects used encrypted communications to organize drug shipments.
Most arrests were made in the Netherlands, with 14 suspects in 2021.
Europol also said six “high-value targets” were detained in Dubai.
More than 214 tonnes of cocaine were seized in 2020, an increase of 6% on the previous year, and experts from the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction believe the amount could reach 300 tonnes by 2022.
Source: DN
