Europol reports 49 arrests in a cocaine cartel bust, with 30 tonnes of drugs seized

Europol @Europol, the European policing agency, announced on Monday that it had assisted in the takedown of a cartel managed from the United Arab Emirates which is believed to control up to a third of Europe’s cocaine trade.

From November 8 to November 19, police arrested 49 suspects in raids in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates, according to the agency.

According to a statement from Europol, “the scale of cocaine importation into Europe under the suspects’ control and command was massive,” and more than 30 tonnes of drugs had also been found during the investigations.

According to the agency, police forces involved in “Operation Desert Light” targeted both the “command-and-control centre and the logistical drugs trafficking infrastructure in Europe.”