Europol announces the dismantling of a cocaine 'super-cartel' in Dubai and Europe
Europol's headquarters in the Netherlands.
(Illustrative image) LEX VAN LIESHOUT / ANP / AFP
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Police have busted a drug "super-cartel" that controls around a third of cocaine trafficking in Europe and arrested 49 suspects in various countries, including six high-profile ones in Dubai, Europol said on Monday.
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This vast international operation led to the seizure of 30 tonnes of cocaine, with arrests in France, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands, adds in a statement the European Police Office, whose headquarters is in the Netherlands. .
"
The drug lords, considered high interest targets by Europol, had come together to form what was known as a super-cartel that controlled around a third of the cocaine trade in Europe
," according to Europol.
“
The scale of cocaine importation into Europe under the control and command of the suspects was massive.
And more than 30 tons of drugs were seized by the police during the investigations
, ”says the European agency.
Dubai has arrested two suspects of "
great interest
", linked to the Netherlands, two others linked to Spain and two linked to France.
One of the Dutch suspects is an "
extremely big fish
", a Europol source told AFP on condition of anonymity.
In addition to the six arrests in Dubai, thirteen people were arrested in Spain, six in France and ten in Belgium.
At the same time, fourteen people were arrested in 2021 in the Netherlands as part of the same operation, according to this source.
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Extradition request for two suspects
The Dutch public prosecutor's office has indicated that it intends to ask the United Arab Emirates for the extradition of the two Dutch-linked suspects arrested in Dubai.
One is a 37-year-old man with dual Dutch and Moroccan nationality, accused of importing thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the Netherlands in 2020 and 2021. The other is a 40-year-old man with the dual Dutch and Bosnian nationality, according to the prosecution.
"
These are serious criminal offenses linked to international drug trafficking, mainly from South America via the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam
", according to a press release from the Dutch public prosecutor's office.
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See also:
In Amsterdam, six EU countries come together to strengthen their cooperation against organized crime
(
With
AFP)
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