Illegal Drugs & Smuggling
The transport of illegal drugs through European ports and the measures taken by port authorities, national governments and international organisations to counter the efforts of smugglers. This includes news about the European Union and Europol, and illegal drug discoveries in docked ships and ports.
Cocaine found in port of Piraeus
Piraeus, Greece (Ports Europe) April 26, 2024 – Inspectors from the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (AADE) have seized a huge...
Port of Ravenna, 150kg cocaine seized from ship
Ravenna, Italy (Ports Europe) April 23, 2024 – Around 150 kilos of cocaine were seized by the police on a ship waiting in the port of Ravenna. The...
“Adriacustoms” initiative presented in Rome
Rome, Italy (Ports Europe) April 23, 2024 — Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) has hosted the presentation of the Adriacustoms project. This...
Drug trafficking via Italian ports: Global Crime Journal
London, United Kingdom (Ports Europe) April 22, 2024 – An article Unpacking drug trafficking phenomenon through seaports: lessons from the Italian ports...
Conference: Drug related organised crime - an EU judicial challenge
La Hulpe, Belgium (Ports Europe) April 19, 2024 – Drug-related organised crime goes beyond national borders and requires a cross-border, collaborative...
Key port sector issues discussed at TT Club seminar
Rotterdam, Netherlands (Ports Europe) April 19, 2024 – Maritime & Transport Business Solutions (MTBS) reported on the key port sector trends and...
Third drug seizure in a month in Belgium’s North Sea Port
Ghent, Belgium (Ports Europe) April 18, 2024 – Drugs were again found in Belgium’s North Sea Port Ghent during the inspection of a coal ship on April 13....
Over 600 million illicit cigarettes seized in EU in 2023
Brussels, Belgium (Ports Europe) April 17, 2024 – In 2002, international operations involving the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) led to the seizure of...
Slovenia seizes over 15,000 tonnes of undeclared cigarettes
Koper, Slovenia (Ports Europe) April 17, 2024 – Slovenian customs officials seized more than 15,000 tonnes of undeclared cigarettes at Koper port in...
60 kg of drugs seized in Greek port of Igoumenitsa
Igoumenitsa, Greece (Ports Europe) April 16, 2024 – Greek coast guard authorities seized more than 2 million euro worth of narcotics and arrested a lorry...
The Economist: Europe’s ports are drug hubs
London, United Kingdom (Ports Europe) April 12, 2024 – Europe’s ports are drug hubs, The Economist newspaper said in Criminal networks are well ahead...
Police make third largest cocaine haul in Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey (Ports Europe) April 11, 2024 – Turkish police have seized the third-largest haul of cocaine in the country’s history amidst...
Cocaine seized in the port of Beirut
Beirut, Lebanon (Ports Europe) April 10, 2024 – 25.6 kg of the “basic ingredient of cocaine” concealed in the metal structure of a container with...
New Europol report on criminal networks active in the EU
Brussels, Belgium (Ports Europe) April 8, 2024 – Europol has presented its first report on the most threatening criminal networks active in the EU. The...
Police breaks up trafficking in the Transportes Castero company, Spain
Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain (Ports Europe) April 2, 2024 – The National Police’s Central Narcotics Department has seized 813 kilos of drugs...
Guardia di Finanza find 150kg cocaine in Port of Gioia Tauro
Gioia Tauro, Italy (Ports Europe) April 2, 2024 – On March 15, 2024, the Guardia di Finanza confiscated 150kg of cocaine inside a container at the Port...
Largest ever cocaine seizure in Bulgaria’s Burgas port
Burgas, Bulgaria (Ports Europe) March 26, 2024 – More than 170 kg of cocaine were seized in Bulgaria’s Black Sea port of Burgas – the largest ever amount...