Cartel controlled ‘third of Euro cocaine trade’

LAW enforcement authorities in six different countries have joined forces to take down a “super cartel” of drugs traffickers controlling about one third of the cocaine trade in Europe, the European Union crime agency has said.

Europol said 49 suspects have been arrested during the investigation, with the latest series of raids across Europe and the United Arab Emirates taking place between November 8 and 19.

The agency said police forces involved in “Operation Desert Light” targeted both the “command-and-control centre and the logistical drugs trafficking infrastructure in Europe”.

Over 30 tonnes of drugs were seized during the investigations run in Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UAE with the support of Europol.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration also played a role in bringing down the organisation, which was also involved in moneylaundering, Europol said.

“The scale of cocaine importation into Europe under the suspects’ control and command was massive,” the agency said, adding that the suspects used encrypted communications to organise drugs shipments.

The Netherlands was the country where most of the arrests were made, with 14 suspects arrested in 2021. Europol said six “high-value targets” were arrested in Dubai.

Dutch authorities said one of the suspects arrested in Dubai allegedly imported thousands of kilos of cocaine into the Netherlands in 2020 and 2021.

The 37-year-old man with both Dutch and Moroccan nationality is also being prosecuted for laundering large amounts of money and possession of firearms.

A 40-year-old Dutch-bosnian citizen was also arrested in Dubai following an investigation based on intercepted Sky messages.