Europol has supported a large-scale investigation against a transcontinental criminal network trafficking large amounts of cocaine from South America to Europe. The operation involved authorities from Belgium, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Eurojust.
The operation took place in April 2025 and led to 14 arrests (11 in Belgium, 2 in Germany, 1 in Italy), 11 house searches in Belgium and Italy, the seizure of over 780 kg of cocaine, and the dismantlement of an underground laboratory.
In the framework of intelligence activities underway with its operational counterparts in the framework of the SKY ECC investigation, Europol developed reliable intelligence concerning the international drug trafficking activities of this organised crime group operating in several countries in Europe.
The gang was led by an Italian family in contact with suppliers in Colombia and chemists in Belgium. They imported huge amounts of cocaine paste, shipped from Colombia to European ports.
Once in the European Union, they stored the product in warehouses in Belgium, which were used as laboratories for the synthesis process. The criminal organisation was also engaged in heroin trafficking and money laundering.
