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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 alleges.
Europol said 49 suspects were 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".
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More than 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 money laundering, Europol said.
"The scale of cocaine importation into Europe under the suspects' control and command was massive," Europol said, alleging that the suspects used encrypted communications to organise drugs shipments.
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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 alleged one of the suspects arrested in Dubai allegedly imported thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the Netherlands in 2020 and 2021.
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The 37-year-old man with both Dutch and Moroccan nationality is also being prosecuted for allegedly laundering large amounts of money and possession of firearms.
Police started investigating him after investigators cracked the encrypted messaging service Sky ECC, which is popular with criminals.
A 40-year-old Dutch-Bosnian citizen was also arrested in Dubai following an investigation based on intercepted Sky messages, according to Dutch police.
He is suspected of importing into Europe cocaine and raw materials for the production of amphetamines.
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Record amounts of cocaine are being seized in Europe. Its availability on the continent has never been higher, with extremely high purity and low prices.
More than 214 tonnes of cocaine were seized in the region in 2020, a 6 per cent increase from the previous year, and experts from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction believe that amount could reach 300 tonnes in 2022.
Source: 9News
