8 tons of cocaine seized in Europe

CBS is reporting that "European police forces have arrested around 40 people in a years-long operation to bust a major drug smuggling ring, leading to the seizure of eight tons of cocaine, Europol said Thursday. The cartel, whose leaders were (temporarily) based in Turkey and Dubai, had been dealt a major blow after a final set of arrests Wednesday, the Hague-based police coordination agency said. According to Europol, the final phase of the operation began with the August 2023 discovery by the Guardia Civil of 1,540 pounds of cocaine in a boat off the Canary Islands, which was crewed by Croat and Italian citizens."

DW is reporting that "Investigators in Germany have discovered a record amount of cocaine worth several billion euros, authorities reported on Friday. 'Dozens of tons of cocaine worth several billion euros have been taken out of circulation,' the Baden-Württemberg State Office of Criminal Investigation and the Customs Investigation Office in Stuttgart, as well as the Düsseldorf public prosecutor's office announced. The huge quantity of drugs was first discovered in the port of Hamburg last year, and, according to the German news agency DPA, originated in South America. The northern port city of Hamburg is a hot spot for cocaine to enter mainland Europe. "