Greek authorities, in coordination with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, recovered 210 kilograms (Kg) of cocaine that was being trafficked into Europe from Latin America via seafood containers. The containers are believed to have originated in Peru with an intended destination of Croatia. Authorities also recovered USD 140,000 in cash, a shotgun, bullets, mobile phones, and documents referencing the drug exchange. Four individuals have been arrested for their role in the crime who are thought to be linked to a larger criminal organization with drug profits of over £5 million. The suspects hail from Albania and Greece. One of the Greek suspects was previously arrested in Costa Rica on similar charges and is thought to have an affiliation with the now-demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (F.A.R.C.). According to the BBC, this is part of a wider trend of increased illicit drug sales between Latin America and Europe which poses unprecedented threats for both continents.

Greek authorities report that the investigation is, “still ongoing to dismantle this international drug trafficking ring and identify whether this case relates to similar cases being pursued.”

The joint task force between the U.S. and Greek authorities has begun stymieing the international drug trade between Latin America and Europe, but there is much that has yet to be done. This level of drug trade has been increasing in recent years, and while catching this group and prosecuting those involved has led to more arrests and the unraveling of this specific group, there are still many more out there that continue to traffic drugs between the continents. Instead of solely focusing on prosecuting traffickers after the drugs have already been moved between continents, preventative work must be done in the origin countries to eliminate the future potential of trafficking. The BBC reports that Europe has become a hot spot for drug trafficking due to the perspective that traffickers face a lower risk and higher profit trafficking into Europe versus other common destinations such as the United States. The European Union and each individually affected European country should develop a more hard-line policy towards traffickers and implement not only longer incarceration terms but also higher fines for these crimes. There also must be steeper regulations in the European territories of the Caribbean Islands as many times these are used as jumping-off points between Latin America and Europe. New policies to tackle these issues will function to shift the popularity of trafficking out of Europe so that the continent faces fewer risks.

European authorities have been calling for stricter drug regulations since at least 2020, the first year of spiked drug trafficking into the continent. The drugs themselves present a risk to the continent – increased drug usage and overdoses – Europe has seen a wave of drug-related violence that has been correlated to the increase in the trafficking of cocaine. Governments are struggling to respond to the public health and security issues that these drugs present. This is especially true of the Netherlands and Greece where the port cities of Rotterdam and Thessaloniki are targeted for drug trade. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (C.S.I.S.) reports that European ports handle over 90 million shipping containers per year while only inspecting two to ten percent of the containers. This facilitates drug trafficking as there is little to no oversight. In addition to this, many port workers are involved in the trafficking rings and provide reference codes for drug extractors on the ground to know which specific containers contain the cocaine they are to transport through the rest of the continent. While the most dominant method of shipping cocaine remains through perishable shipping vessels, traffickers also use mules to bring the cocaine through airports and typically utilize Caribbean territories as pass-through points. The C.S.I.S. found that sixty-five percent of the cocaine arriving from Europe came directly from Colombia while twenty-seven percent came from Peru and five percent came from Bolivia, respectively. This uptick in trafficking has not only posed a threat within Europe but has also compounded existing issues in the Caribbean as well. These interrelated issues have drawn concern from authorities throughout the world and have led to the necessity for change.

The increased waves of drug trafficking between Latin America and Europe are posing risks for daily life in Europe as well as the Caribbean. Higher levels of corruption and lower levels of consequence on the European continent have provided the perfect environment for traffickers to thrive. However, Greek authorities in conjunction with the D.E.A. have made headway in arresting four major players in the international drug ring and this only marks the start of Europe’s assault against drugs. The authorities in Greece must continue to pursue these criminals as policymakers in each affected country and the European Union as a whole must create firm policies and stricter laws against those who traffic drugs into Europe to increase the stability of the continent. This will provide for more peace in Europe and the Caribbean with fewer public health issues, drug-related crises, and violence.