In its latest news report, INTERPOL highlights the continued growth and increasing sophistication of cocaine trafficking into Europe, underscoring the adaptability and resilience of organized criminal networks.
According to the “Diversification in Maritime Cocaine Trafficking Modi Operandi” report, criminal networks have demonstrated their capacity to rapidly adjust operations, fragmenting routes and adopting complex, covert trafficking methods. The publication also highlights the use of semi-submersibles and other non-commercial vessels, as well as the incorporation of cocaine into various carrier materials before shipment to Europe.
We know that these groups are increasingly diversifying their methods, using smaller vessels, at-sea transfers, and clever concealment techniques to evade detection. Our response must be equally dynamic and coordinated
At-sea transfers typically involve a mother vessel from Latin America transferring cocaine to a daughter vessel off the coast of West Africa. The cocaine is then either brought ashore in West Africa for further shipment to mainland EU or sent to the Canary Islands. Using rigid-hulled inflatable boats, criminal networks also transport cocaine directly to mainland Spain. Upon reaching the Andalusian coast, criminal networks utilize the Guadalquivir River to transport cocaine inland for further distribution.
Key findings
#1 Growing scale and adaptability of cocaine trafficking
Cocaine trafficking into Europe continues to grow at unprecedented levels, underscoring the persistent reach and adaptability of organized crime. Criminal networks have demonstrated a worrying capacity to exploit vulnerabilities, rapidly adjusting their operations to stay ahead of authorities. These networks have responded by fragmenting their routes and adopting ever more complex and covert trafficking methods — highlighting their determination to evade detection and sustain illicit profits.
#2 Displacement of trafficking routes and methods
Displacement of trafficking activity is evident. Law enforcement pressure in major ports in and outside the EU has led to a relocation of trafficking activities to other, smaller, ports. Additionally, criminal networks may also bypass commercial ports by transferring their drug cargo at sea from one vessel to another, or dropping it off for collection by smaller boats, avoiding exposure to port controls.
#3 Use of semi-submersibles and non-commercial vessels
Semi-submersibles and non-commercial vessels are now used for trans-Atlantic transport. Recent seizures near the regions of the Azores (Portugal) and Galicia (Spain) confirm the expanded range and technical capability of these crafts.
#4 Sophisticated concealment techniques
Criminal networks use sophisticated concealment methods to prevent the drugs from being detected by scanners, sniffer dogs, or drug tests. Cocaine is chemically bonded with or incorporated in liquid or solid materials, hidden in industrial machinery, or attached beneath ship hulls.
As we continue to tighten the net on the criminal networks that traffic illegal drugs, they find ever more inventive and diverse ways to bring cocaine and other narcotics into our Union. So, we must further intensify and diversify our efforts.