A new Europol report published today provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolving tactics employed by criminal networks to traffic cocaine into Europe via maritime routes. The report, ‘Diversification in Maritime Cocaine Trafficking Modi Operandi‘, provides an in-depth analysis of the shifting tactics employed by organised crime networks, which continue to exploit vulnerabilities and evade detection.
Cocaine trafficking into Europe has reached unprecedented levels, driven by high production in Latin America and increasing demand within the EU. Criminal networks have demonstrated their capacity to rapidly adjust operations, fragmenting routes and adopting complex, covert trafficking methods. This new Europol report 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.
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 utilise the Guadalquivir River to transport cocaine inland for further distribution.
