European Union : 19 people arrested in an international investigation into a cocaine trafficking network

Police in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands have arrested 19 people after an international investigation into a major cocaine-smuggling network, the European Union's law enforcement agency announced Thursday.

Thursday's operation was the accumulation of an investigation conducted by the Belgian, Dutch and German police, as well as the Paraguayan anti-drug authorities, knowing that Europol coordinated the joint operation.

The authorities had been investigating the smuggling network since February 2021, when 34 tons of cocaine were found in three shipments in the ports of Hamburg in Germany and Antwerp in Belgium.

In all, European police searched more than 35 sites and seized electronic equipment, documents, vehicles, luxury watches and real estate, as well as bank accounts and cash worth 5.5 million euros.

The arrests were as follows: 11 in Germany, 5 in Belgium and 3 in the Netherlands.

The operation followed another series of searches and seizures linked to the smuggling cell in February, when police arrested about 30 people in Brazil, Paraguay and Spain.

According to Europol, the cell organized its supply of cocaine from Bolivia, and it also has supply lines in Paraguay.

The criminal network used a network of legitimate companies to help it transport drugs into the European Union, according to Europol, and stashed cocaine in shipments of bananas, coffee and bandages.

Source: AB