Busted: 14 cocaine traffickers arrested in joint operation in Belgium and Italy

28th May 2025 Tony Kingham

Europol has supported a large-scale investigation against a transcontinental criminal network trafficking large amounts of cocaine from South America to Europe. The operation involved authorities from Belgium, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, as well as Eurojust.

The operation took place in April 2025 and led to:

14 arrests (11 in Belgium, 2 in Germany, 1 in Italy)
11 house searches in Belgium and Italy
The seizure of over 780 kg of cocaine
The dismantlement of an underground laboratory

Cocaine paste shipped from Colombia to the EU

In the framework of intelligence activities underway with its operational counterparts in the framework of the SKY ECC investigation, Europol developed reliable intelligence concerning the international drug trafficking activities of this organised crime group operating in several countries in Europe.

The gang was led by an Italian family in contact with suppliers in Colombia and chemists in Belgium. They imported huge amounts of cocaine paste, shipped from Colombia to European ports. Once in the European Union, they stored the product in warehouses in Belgium, which were used as laboratories for the synthesis process. The criminal organisation was also engaged in heroin trafficking and money laundering.

alternative text — Underground lab dismantled during the operation

Crucial cooperation led by Europol

International cooperation was key in this case against organised crime and drug trafficking. Europol coordinated the different law enforcement authorities involved in the operation and provided the key intelligence to the Belgian authorities to kick off the investigation.

Europol’s analysts played a central role, facilitating the exchange of information and providing analytical support to national investigators, which helped identify the key targets and map the full spectrum of their criminal activities.

Eurojust set up a joint investigation team between the Belgian and Italian authorities to ensure critical information for the Belgian investigation was shared by their Italian counterparts.