Preliminary forecasts released this Tuesday indicate that the German police and the Customs Investigation Bureau have seized a record amount of cocaine, totaling 35 tons, in 2023. A spokesperson for the Federal Criminal Police Office stated that around 20 tons of cocaine were confiscated in 2022. The previous record, set in 2021, was 23 tons.
The public German broadcaster “Norddeutscher Rundfunk” earlier this month reported that the total amount seized could reach up to 40 tons in 2023. According to the latest report on drug-related crimes issued by the Federal Criminal Police Office, which was published last October, there has been a noticeable increase in the quantities of cocaine seized in Germany since 2017. In 2018, only 5 tons were confiscated, suggesting a sevenfold increase over five years.
The majority of the cocaine reaching Germany is shipped from South America through container ports, particularly Hamburg and Bremerhaven. A spokesperson for the Hamburg Customs Investigation Bureau announced the seizure of over 30 tons of drugs in German ports by December this year.
Recent large-scale drug confiscations have been reported worldwide, highlighting the ongoing battle against drug trafficking.
In the United States, a significant operation led by the DEA, FBI, and Seattle Police resulted in the seizure of two RVs packed with methamphetamine and fentanyl. This major bust involved the indictment of eleven defendants and was part of a larger effort to dismantle three significant drug trafficking groups. These groups were responsible for trafficking over 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine and hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills. The operation revealed the extensive reach of drug trafficking networks and their use of sophisticated methods to transport drugs across states.
Belgium, too, faced a significant challenge with record amounts of cocaine seized, particularly in the port of Antwerp. By the end of 2022, authorities expected to surpass the 100-tonne mark in cocaine seizures. This massive amount of cocaine created logistical and security challenges, particularly regarding its safe disposal. Antwerp, being a major entry point of cocaine into Europe, has seen an increasing trend in drug confiscations over the last five years. The scale of these seizures has necessitated an expansion in operations, including hiring additional agents and installing new scanners for container inspections at the port. The situation in Belgium reflects the growing scale of drug trafficking in Europe and the continuous efforts of law enforcement to combat it.
