4 July – Spanish police seize underwater drug-smuggling drones (video). Police in Spain have broken up a gang that was allegedly building semi-submersible drones, each capable of ferrying up to 200kg of drugs across the strait of Gibraltar. The Policía Nacional, which arrested eight people in Cádiz, Málaga and Barcelona, said it was the first time it had come across underwater drones being used to smuggle drugs. Officers also seized 145kg of hashish, 8kg of marijuana, €157,370 in cash, and six large aerial drones that could cover a distance of 30km.
5 July – More than 130 arrests during EU-wide action against child trafficking. In a joint action supported by Europol, officers of the participating European law enforcement entities and labour inspectorate authorities arrested over 130 criminals and successfully identified around 60 new suspects. The joint action days against trafficking in human beings took place from 6 to 13 of June 2022, and were coordinated by Frontex with the participation of 22 countries alongside INTERPOL. More than 22 480 law enforcement officers took part in the action days, during which checks were carried out at European sea, land, and air borders, with an additional focus on heavily utilised routes into Europe.
5 July – Two Coca Regions in Peru, One Cocaine Shipment to Europe. Nearly two tons of cocaine intercepted in a beach town in Peru, destined for the Netherlands, reportedly came from two distinct coca growing regions in the country, indicating that the Peruvian gang behind the shipment was doing business with clans that have traditionally operated separately. The 1,881 kilograms of cocaine — packed into 43 bags — were seized in late June in the northwestern coastal city of Máncora. The drugs were to be moved by a speedboat to another vessel on the high seas, Peruvian news outlet La República reported. The cocaine was destined for the port city of Rotterdam.
6 July – Major operation against migrant smuggling in the English Channel: 39 arrests. Supported by Eurojust and Europol, judicial and law enforcement authorities in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have dismantled a criminal network suspected of using small boats to smuggle up to 10 000 migrants across the English Channel over the last 12 to 18 months. It is believed to be the biggest ever international operation targeting small boat people smugglers.
8 July – Gardaí forging links with Thai police to combat organised crime. An Garda Síochána is developing close links with police in Bangkok to try to halt the flow of money stolen from unsuspecting victims of deception crimes in Ireland to banks in cities such as the Thai capital. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said this “long-term” operation is part of an expansion of the Garda liaison officer network, whereby senior gardaí are being deployed across Europe, the United States, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Colombia to “make connections” with local law-enforcement agencies in order to disrupt Irish and foreign gangs involved in drug dealing, murder and other crimes.
