Cocaine Network Cracked Wide Open

In a major international operation, a cocaine trafficking network that funneled drugs from South America to Europe, particularly Iceland, has been dismantled. This network, responsible for generating EUR 4 million in criminal profits, was brought down through the collaborative efforts of authorities from Iceland, Lithuania, Spain, with substantial support from Europol and Eurojust.

On February 4, 2026, a coordinated action day led to the arrest of 24 individuals across several countries—11 in Iceland, 6 in Lithuania, 4 in Spain, 2 in Belgium, and 1 in Denmark. This criminal group had sophisticatedly moved cocaine from South America to Iceland, using Spain and other transit points, deploying various innovative methods to evade detection including the use of drug mules and advanced concealment techniques.

Europol has indicated that while traditional methods involve hiding cocaine in shipping containers, criminal networks are increasingly turning to methods that can bypass scanners and sniffer dogs. In this case, the drugs were often concealed within personal luggage or ingested by couriers, who were typically in vulnerable situations and easily manipulated. Some couriers transported the drug in liquid form. Upon reaching Iceland, the drugs were distributed by the network, with profits laundered through real estate and other assets in Lithuania.

Authorities also set up a joint investigation team at Eurojust and held several coordination meetings in The Hague, which played a crucial role in mapping the network’s structure and linking suspects across multiple countries. The operation was part of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), which aims to combat severe international crime through enhanced cooperation across various national and international bodies.