A major international cocaine trafficking network has been dismantled following an extensive international operation coordinated by Europol in April. The investigation led to 14 arrests across Belgium, Germany, and Italy, the seizure of over 780 kilograms of cocaine, and the destruction of a drug laboratory operating within Belgium.
Beyond cocaine trafficking, the group was also involved in heroin distribution and laundering vast sums of illicit money. According to Europol, this breakthrough came from intelligence work developed during ongoing investigations tied to the SKY ECC encrypted communications network.
“Europol developed reliable intelligence concerning the international drug trafficking activities of this organized crime group operating in several countries in Europe,” the agency noted.
This case highlights the growing threat posed by drug trafficking networks, a concern outlined in Europol’s 2025 EU Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment (EU-SOCTA). The report warns that such networks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and dangerous, using tools like money laundering to “destabilize society and undermine legal economies and trust in institutions.”
