10/01 Cocaine with a street value of over 5 billion euros was intercepted in the port of Rotterdam last year. A collaboration of customs, FIOD, Seaport Police, and Public Prosecution Service in Rotterdam found 70,571 kilos of cocaine in various shipments, 74 percent more than in 2020. This is a new record in drug seizures. The previous record, from 2020, was over 40,000 kilos.
11/01 Croatian police have seized the largest heroin shipment detected in the country, hidden in an 80 tonne cargo of lead ingots on a ship arriving via Turkey. The 220 kilos stash of heroin, concealed in small packages inside the metal, was discovered in the southern Adriatic port of Ploce in the autumn, Dubrovacki Vijesnik newspaper quoted police telling a news conference.
11/01 Germany: ‘Massive’ cocaine bust uncovered in sugar shipment. Workers at a food production plant accidentally uncovered the illegal drug while opening up a shipment of sugar. Authorities in Saxony said it was the largest cocaine bust in the state’s history.
12/01 Corruption and geography key to Paraguay’s emerging cocaine traffic. Belgian Customs Administrator Kristian Vanderwaeren told reporters that the nearly 90 tons of seized cocaine mainly had come from three countries: Panama, Ecuador and Paraguay. While Paraguay has clearly become a springboard for cocaine to Europe, the country also appears to be a gateway for drugs headed to West Africa.
14/01 Over 1 530 firearms taken off the streets in Europol-coordinated operation. The firearms were seized in an international law enforcement operation targeting the illegal trade of converted alarm and gas weapons. These blank firing pistols have become a weapon of choice for criminals as they can easily be converted to discharge live ammunition. Such a firearm is believed to have been used to kill the Dutch crime reporter shot in Amsterdam in July of last year.
