Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Law enforcement authorities from five different nations from both sides of the Atlantic was part of the operation.
Law enforcement just busted a massive smuggling route in the Atlantic Ocean.
With the Spanish Guardia Civil leading the charge, a cooperation between a number of national law enforcement agencies and Europol has managed to break up what is being called the Atlantic “Cocaine Highway”.
Europol reports that between mid-April and late April, agencies tracked vessels moving huge quantities of illicit substances. The operation focused on a specific stretch of water. It lies between the Spanish Canary Islands and the Portuguese Azores, far from typical coastal patrols.
The results were staggering. Teams seized 11 tonnes of cocaine and 8.5 tonnes of hashish, while arresting 54 people and seizing eight boats, according to Europol.
Hiding in plain sight
Smugglers used to rely on giant commercial ports in Europe to sneak their goods onto land. That approach became too risky, so they moved their entire operation far offshore to avoid detection.
Europol reports that large container ships now pick up drugs in Latin America before sailing deep into international waters. Out in the ocean, crews transfer the cargo to high-speed boats. These fast vessels can easily handle the rough ocean waves.
Finally, smaller craft bring the packages to quiet beaches in Spain and Portugal. This scattered approach makes catching the criminals extremely difficult. It spreads the risk across multiple vessels and crews over thousands of miles.
An international effort
Shutting down a multi-stage operation requires global teamwork. Agencies from Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States joined the Spanish police in breaking the network apart.
Europol even sent a dedicated expert to Spain to cross-check ship data. Officials monitored the boats as they moved across the water. Real-time tracking made all the difference.
“Our work proves that when law enforcement acts together, even the Atlantic is not big enough for organised crime to hide,” Europol’s Deputy Executive Director of Operations, Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, stated.
The fight continues
Officials now call this busy patch of water the cocaine highway. The cartels will undoubtedly keep trying to adapt their tactics to avoid capture.
But the authorities are adapting too. Europol plans to use the intelligence gathered during this massive raid to track down the shadowy figures funding these trans-Atlantic trips.
More arrests are likely coming soon. The ocean is vast, but the net is clearly tightening around the cartels.
Sources: Europol
