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.
Second cocaine seizure in King Abdullah Port in September
Thuwal, Saudi Arabia (Ports Europe) September 27, 2024 – 54.8 kg of cocaine hidden in a shipment of bananas was discovered at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea...
Cocaine found in container from Constanta port
Constanta, Romania (Ports Europe) September 26, 2024 – Up to 4,000 kg of cocaine could potentially be extracted from the 71 barrels with 15 tonnes of...
40 kg of cocaine seized at Dublin Port
Dublin, Ireland (Ports Europe) September 25, 2024 – Revenue officers have seized 40 kg of cocaine at Dublin Port. The value is estimated at 2.8 million...
Anti-narcotics office opened in Marseille port
Marseille, France (Ports Europe) September 23, 2024 – French OFAST (L’office anti-stupéfiants, anti-narcotics office) has opened a nine-officer branch...
Over 8 tons of cannabis at the Atlantic port of Safi, Morocco
Casablanca, Morocco (Ports Europe) September 23, 2024 – The General Directorate of National Security (DGSN-Direction Générale de la Sûreté Nationale)...
62 kg of cocaine seized in Antwerp port
Antwerp, Belgium (Ports Europe) September 22, 2024 – 62 kg of cocaine hidden in a container with bananas from Costa Rica were seized on September 20 by...
Colombia seizes cocaine bound for Antwerp, Belgium
San José, Costa Rica (Ports Europe) September 20, 2024 – The authorities have seized around 1 ton of cocaine hydrochloride hidden in a shipment of...
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...