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<h1 class="has-text-color wp-block-heading" id="main-heading" style="color:#291d1f;font-size:14px"><strong>Europol announced the take down of massive cocaine trafficking network&#8217;, <strong>described as a drug &#8220;super cartel&#8221; that controlled about a third of Europe&#8217;s cocaine supply </strong></strong></h1>



<h1 class="has-text-color wp-block-heading" id="main-heading" style="color:#291d1f;font-size:14px"><strong>Dubbed &#8216;Operation Desert Light&#8217;, authorities in Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates in joint effort brought down cartel </strong></h1>



<h1 class="has-text-color wp-block-heading" id="main-heading" style="color:#291d1f;font-size:14px"><strong>Over 30 tonnes [30,000kg] of drugs seized during the two-year-long investigation by Europol </strong></h1>



<h1 class="has-text-color wp-block-heading" id="main-heading" style="color:#291d1f;font-size:14px"><strong>Focused mainly on cocaine imported from South America via the Netherlands where most of the arrests were made in 2021 </strong></h1>



<h1 class="has-text-color wp-block-heading" id="main-heading" style="color:#291d1f;font-size:14px"><strong>The operation led to the arrest of 49 people, six described as &#8220;high-value targets&#8221;, including <strong>British man suspected of heading the super cartel who had fled to Dubai after eluding arrest in Spain</strong> </strong></h1>



<h1 class="has-text-color wp-block-heading" id="main-heading" style="color:#291d1f;font-size:14px"><strong>Dutch suspect, described as a <strong>&#8220;big fish&#8221;</strong>, with alleged links to high-profile Dutch crime boss Ridouan Taghi, was also held </strong></h1>



<h1 class="has-text-color wp-block-heading" id="main-heading" style="color:#291d1f;font-size:14px"><strong>Dutch prosecutors will request the extradition of the suspects from the UAE to face large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering charges</strong></h1>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/13-drug-smuggling-suspects-held-in-Spain-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-423398"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong>Spanish police in early November made 13 arrests as part of the two-year investigation. The cartel bust led to the recovery of 30 tonnes of cocaine trafficked from South America to Europe</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>A drug &#8220;super cartel&#8221; that controlled about a third of Europe&#8217;s cocaine supply has been dismantled, police have announced.<br>Dubbed Operation Desert Light, 49 people were arrested across six European countries, the EU&#8217;s police agency, Europol, said.<br>They included a British national, who is suspected of heading the operation.<br>Over 30 tonnes [30,000kg], of drugs were seized during the two-year-long investigation, Europol said.<br>Operation Desert Light saw authorities in Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates [UAE], work together to bring down the cartel, <a href="https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/heat-rising-european-super-cartel-taken-down-in-six-countries">Europol said in a statement</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/13-drug-smuggling-suspects-held-in-Spain-5.png" alt="" class="wp-image-423404"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong>Spanish Guardia Civil arrested 13 suspected members of the super cartel. However the cartel headed eluded capture and fled to Dubai where he was taken into custody</strong></figcaption></figure>



<iframe width="1024" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wYuWEb6K2iQ" title="Operation Desert Light" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>



<p>Those arrested included six &#8220;high-value targets&#8221; &#8211; those most wanted by international police. Two of the high-value targets were <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClgIrg-stxe/?utm_source=ig_embed&;ig_rid=978f9453-1d20-4ac5-80ad-d95ca342f528">arrested in Dubai.</a><br>Europol revealed that between November 8 and 19, Coordinated raids were carried out across Europe and the UAE, targeting both the command-and-control center and the logistical drugs trafficking infrastructure in Europe. <br>The break down of suspects nabbed include 13 in Spain, 6 suspects arrested in France, 10 were arrested in Belgium 10 in addition to 4 high-value targets who were arrested in Dubai. Earlier in 2021, 14 suspects tied to the cartel were arrested in the Netherlands with along with 2 high-value targets who were arrested in Dubai.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/13-drug-smuggling-suspects-held-in-Spain-6.png" alt="" class="wp-image-423406" width="837" height="612"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong>Spanish police lead a cuffed female drug trafficking suspect during the early November bust</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>The suspects, considered as high-value targets by Europol, had come together to form what was known as a ‘super cartel’ that controlled around one-third of the cocaine trade in Europe.<br>Europol said the &#8220;drugpins&#8221; had formed a &#8220;prolific criminal network involved in large-scale drugs trafficking and money laundering.&#8221;<br>It added that the scale of the drug operation was &#8220;massive&#8221;.<br>It is the latest in a series of police efforts to hack encrypted phones used by organized crime networks to traffic drugs and launder money.<br>Cocaine imported from South America via the Netherlands was the main focus of the investigation.<br>Most of the arrests were made there in 2021. The others were made earlier this month, between 8-19 November, during coordinated raids across the other six countries, Europol said.<br>A video posted to the agency&#8217;s YouTube page showed teams of investigators and sniffer dogs searching homes filled with luxury cars, although it is unclear if any assets were seized during the arrests.<br>The British man suspected of heading the &#8220;super cartel&#8221; had fled to Dubai after earlier avoiding arrest in Spain, the country&#8217;s Guardia Civil said in a statement.<br>He allegedly continued to lead the cartel from the UAE.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/13-drug-smuggling-suspects-held-in-Spain-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-423407"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong>Fleet of hyper luxury cars recovered from suspected cartel members the Spanish Guardia Civil</strong></figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/13-drug-smuggling-suspects-held-in-Spain-7.png" alt="" class="wp-image-423409"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong>A trove of passports was also recovered during the drug bust</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>Another &#8220;big fish&#8221; Dutch suspect, with alleged links to high-profile Dutch crime boss Ridouan Taghi, was also detained, the AFP reports.<br>Dutch prosecutors said they would request the extradition of the suspects from the UAE. The suspects are facing large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering charges.<br>In early November, police in Spain conducted a series of raids that resulted in the discovery of the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63527892">largest haul of cannabis ever found.</a><br>The packaged marijuana found was equivalent to approximately 1.1 million plants. </p>

Europol take down massive cocaine ‘super cartel’ in joint six nation sting codenamed ‘Operation Desert Light’ – 49 suspects arrested, including six ‘High-Value’ targets
