Authorities undertake operations against drug trafficking

According to a story^[1], among others published in the Belgian news, a country that is often confronted with the phenomenon of drug trafficking, Portuguese judicial police forces have recently seized approximately 9 tons of cocaine from a submarine off the coast of the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. The operation was supported by authorities from the US and the UK.  All the drugs on board had a combined value of approximately EUR 600 million. Reportedly, this is the largest cocaine seizure ever in the country. The vessel, which according to authorities has a shape that makes it hard to detect, reportedly came from Latin America. While the exact origin remains unclear, quite a few indices hint at a link with Colombia. According to experts, sub-marine drug vessels tend to be used in Colombia. Three of the four crew members are of Colombian nationality, while the other one is Venezuelan.

Meanwhile a German news outlet reports^[2] about successful drug investigations in major European ports: in the Port of Hamburg, customs authorities reportedly seized 400 kilograms of heroin for a value of EUR 32 million in a container that was shipped from Singapore. In the Netherlands, an even bigger find is reported: in the Port of Rotterdam, 5 tons of cocaine for a value of EUR 250 million were seized.

These developments show that drug trafficking is an increasingly problematic issue in particular for ports. The trans-national nature requires strong cooperation between law-enforcement authorities at European level and it is expected that the upcoming European Ports Strategy will make suggestions in this regard. A provisional version identifies drugs smuggling by criminal networks into EU ports as a problem and among others stresses the need to train and protect workers in ports in addressing organised crime and cyber threats. The leaked strategy also considers cooperation with ports in third countries in the fight against organised crime.

[1] https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2026/01/27/drugsvangst-duikboot-portugal/

[2] https://www.rnd.de/panorama/drogenfund-in-hamburg-heroin-im-wert-von-32-millionen-euro-in-container-entdeckt-7OS5Y6AFU5A6DJAH5ABYFIR244.html