Illegal Drugs & Smuggling
The transport of illegal drugs through European ports and the measures taken by port authorities, national governments and international organisations to counter the efforts of smugglers. This includes news about the European Union and Europol, and illegal drug discoveries in docked ships and ports.
193 kg of cocaine seized in Le Havre port
Le Havre, France (Ports Europe) September 17, 2024 – 193 kg of cocaine was seized by the police near the French port of Le Havre on September 11. Authorities...
43 kg of cocaine seized in Antwerp port – again a teenager arrested
Antwerp, Belgium (Ports Europe) September 15, 2024 – Customs officers found 43 kg of cocaine, with a street value of between 1.3 and 3 million euros in...
Over 9.3 tonnes of cocaine seized in Le Havre in Jan-Aug 2024
Le Havre, France (Ports Europe) September 11, 2024 – Over 9.3 tonnes of cocaine were seized in the French port of Le Havre in Normandy since the beginning of...
Arrests in Israel after agent exposes smuggling in Ashdod port
Ashdod, Israel (Ports Europe) September 11, 2024 – After the longest-ever operation of a covert agent (code named Jack Sparrow) of the Israel Police,...
Port of Vigo invests against illegal goods
Vigo, Spain (Ports Europe) September 8, 2024 – Last May, construction work started on a new infrastructure that will house the technical inspection...
521,000 vials of an illicit drug seized in Tanger Med
Tanger Med, Morocco (Ports Europe) September 8, 2024 – Police in Tanger Med port have seized 521,000 vials of an illicit substance. The vials were found...
EU: New – the Anti-Corruption Partnership Forum
News Release: Anti-Corruption Partnership Forum – A new Forum against Corruption promises better coordination at global level – September 5, 2024...
Europol publishes EMPACT 2023 Results – Factsheets
The Hague, Netherlands (Ports Europe) September 4, 2024 – EUROPOL has published its EMPACT 2023 Results. This includes “Factsheets” on 15...
240 kg of cocaine seized in Portugal’s Sines port
Sines, Portugal (Ports Europe) September 2, 2024 – 240 kg of cocaine was seized in the container terminal of Portugal’s North Atlantic port of Sines,...
Albania’s Durres port exports highly toxic waste
Durrës, Albania (Ports Europe) September 1, 2024 – The illegal export of hundreds of tonnes of highly toxic waste via Albania’s Adriatic Sea port of...
Portugal police announced seizure of 6.5 tonnes of cocaine
Lisbon, Portugal (Ports Europe) August 31, 2024 – Portugal’s Judiciary Police said on August 30 that more than 6.5 tonnes of cocaine from Latin...
24 kg of cocaine seized from a coal ship in Ghent port
Ghent, Belgium (Ports Europe) August 30, 2024 – 24 kg of cocaine was discovered on August 20 in a Colombian coal ship at the North Sea Port in Ghent,...
51 kg of cocaine seized in Marseille port
Marseille, France (Ports Europe) August 29, 2024 – 51.8 kg of cocaine was discovered in a container at the French Grand Port Maritime of Marseille, the...
Europol seizes around 70 kg of narcotics bound for Malaga
The Hague, Netherlands (Ports Europe) August 26, 2024 – Europol has cooperated with the Spanish (PolicÃa Nacional) and Colombian Police (PolicÃa...
4.2 tonnes of hashish and 46 kg of cocaine seized in Western Sahara
El Guergarat, Western Sahara (Ports Europe) August 25, 2024 – The customs authorities in Dakhla-Oued Eddahab (old name Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira) seized 4.2...
211 kg of cocaine arriving via Portugal’s Setubal port seized in Spain
Madrid, Spain (Ports Europe) August 24, 2024 – Spanish police, in collaboration with Portuguese Portuguese Judiciary Police, seized 211 kg of cocaine in...
Maersk to return toxic waste headed for Thailand back to Albania
News Release – Environmental justice groups applaud decision and call on shipping line to return similar wastes they abandoned in China – August...
600 kg of cocaine in avocado shipment seized in Rotterdam port
Rotterdam, Netherlands (Ports Europe) August 19, 2024 – 614 kg of cocaine was seized in the Netherlands’ port of Rotterdam on August 14, the Public...
Cocaine haul in Rosslare Europort
Rosslare, Ireland (Ports Europe) August 15, 2024 – On August 8, 2024, as part of an intelligence-led operation, Revenue officers seized approximately 104...
Authorities seize cocaine in Port of Naples
Naples, Italy (Ports Europe) August 14, 2024 – The customs authorities have seized 188 kilograms of cocaine in the Port of Naples. The drugs came from...