European and Brazilian authorities have dismantled a drug trafficking network believed to have shipped more than 17 tons of cocaine to Europe, Europol said today.

Eventually, 15 people were detained, property worth more than 80 million euros was confiscated.according to the announcement of this European Union agency for cooperation between national police forces, which is based in The Hague.

“This is an important victory in the fight against drug trafficking. The police authorities of Europe and Latin America have eliminated one of the most active criminal networks in Brazil, which flooded Europe with tons of cocaine,” Europol added.

According to the Brazilian Federal Police (PF), which investigated the case for two years, this organization sent 17 tons of drugs to Europe. However, 12 tons were seized from this amount. The operation to dismantle the network took place on Thursday with the participation of 200 police officers in various states of Brazil and in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay. 87 properties, 173 vehicles and an aircraft were confiscated, and 147 bank accounts were frozen.

The investigation began in March 2021, when 316 kilograms of cocaine from southern Brazil was seized at the port of Hamburg, Germany. Germany, France, Spain and Paraguay also took part in the survey.

Source: APE-MPE, AFP.