Drug ring taken down in joint sweep across Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK
a coordinated Europol-supported operation involving authorities from Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (UK) led to the arrest of seven suspects involved in the trafficking of drugs into Europe.
Ketamine was the most trafficked drug by the gang, although the perpetrators also smuggled cocaine, heroin, crystal meth, MDMA and precursors for drug manufacture. Law enforcement authorities seized more than 225 kg of ketamine only in Belgium.
The action day in July 2025 was the culmination of months of investigation. Investigators had untangled the criminal network months earlier, carrying out several operations against some of its members already in 2024. Overall, the operations led to:
- 7 arrests
- 11 house searches (9 in Belgium, 1 in the UK and 1 in the Netherlands).
- Seizure of more than 600 kg of drugs, including ketamine, amphetamines, cannabis, heroin and cocaine.
- Seizure of more than EUR 5 million.
The perpetrators operated not only within Western Europe, but were spread across multiple regions around the world. They used a variety of sophisticated methods to traffic drugs through Europe without detection, including trucks with drugs hidden in deck cargo and mail packages, which were intercepted in Belgium.
Close cooperation between Europol and national authorities
Europol started supporting the investigation in September 2024 by organising a series of operational meetings and offering financial support to the Member States involved in the case. In addition, Europol’s experts carried out cross-checks and gave operational support to national authorities throughout the investigation. On the action day, two specialists were deployed to Belgium and the UK to provide their expertise in the field and ensure close coordination.
Drug trafficking is a dynamic crime with high destabilising potential, given its association with violence, corruption, infiltration in the legal economy, and worldwide interconnections. Europol identifies drug trafficking as one of the key threats to the EU’s internal security.
