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OCCRP – May 27 2025

Network smuggled cocaine paste from Colombia to EU labs, echoing OCCRP warnings of Europe’s growing role in drug production.

A Europol-led operation has resulted in 14 arrests and the seizure of over 780 kilograms of cocaine, highlighting a growing trend of cocaine production shifting into Europe—which echoes findings from OCCRP’s 2023 investigation.

The April crackdown dismantled a criminal organization that smuggled cocaine paste from Colombia to Europe, processed it in underground laboratories in Belgium, and distributed it across the EU, the agency said Tuesday. Authorities in Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland took part, with Eurojust facilitating judicial cooperation.

In total, law enforcement agencies carried out 11 house searches in Belgium and Italy, arrested 11 suspects in Belgium, two in Germany, and one in Italy, and shut down a hidden drug synthesis facility.

The network was allegedly run by members of an Italian family who maintained direct ties with Colombian suppliers and Belgian chemists. In addition to cocaine trafficking, the organization was also involved in heroin smuggling and money laundering.

In the 2023 Narcofiles investigation by OCCRP, reporters documented how cocaine production and processing have increasingly moved into Europe, shifting what was once the domain of South American cartels into the heart of the EU. The report warned of growing criminal sophistication and a rising number of synthesis labs inside Europe—patterns also seen in this latest case.

The Europol-led investigation was bolstered by intelligence from the SKY ECC encrypted messaging probe, which has yielded extensive insights into organized crime communications. Europol analysts helped identify high-value targets and coordinate cross-border action among national police forces.

According to the police agency, the operation illustrates the increasing scale and complexity of drug trafficking networks operating across borders. Europol emphasized that the investigation succeeded thanks to close international cooperation and timely intelligence sharing, which allowed authorities to identify key suspects and dismantle the group’s infrastructure.

Europol has repeatedly warned of the intensifying threat posed by drug cartels. In its 2025 EU Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment (EU-SOCTA), the agency said that transnational criminal networks are increasingly using tools like money laundering to destabilize societies and erode trust in public institutions.

The agency has vowed to treat drug trafficking as a strategic priority, citing the growing capabilities and violence of criminal networks operating across Europe.

https://www.occrp.org/en/news/cocaine-cartel-with-global-links-hit-in-eu-crackdown