EU, Ecuador dismantle transnational cocaine trafficking ring, seize more than 73 tons of drugs

According to a statement from Europol, the European Union's (EU) law enforcement cooperation agency, police forces from Ecuador, Germany and Spain have coordinated to dismantle a criminal organization that specialized in transporting large quantities of cocaine from Ecuador to ports in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain for distribution and consumption in many places.

Through investigation, the authorities determined that the subjects in Ecuador were responsible for arranging and transporting drugs to Europe, as well as managing the organization's cash flow. Meanwhile, others operating in Germany and Spain were assigned to logistics and distribution in the European market.

The suspects in Europe had been on the radar of law enforcement agencies there for some time. On March 13, Europol announced that it had coordinated the arrest of 36 more suspects in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil.

If only counted in one investigation, the amount of cocaine seized in Ecuador and Europe mentioned above would be enough to be classified as one of the largest seizures in the world.

The EU has stepped up its efforts to combat transnational drug trafficking and organised crime in recent years, amid rising violence in many member states and record seizures of cocaine.

In 2023, the European Commission published a roadmap to address this situation, including the creation of a “Port Alliance” to help strengthen security controls and the ability to deal with criminal groups.

Meanwhile, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa is in a tough re-election race, with a second round of voting scheduled for next month. He has also repeatedly stated that in his next term he will step up efforts to crack down on drug gangs, which are a major problem in Ecuador, especially in the port city of Guayaquil.