In 2023, European seaports experienced record cocaine seizures, particularly in Hamburg. However, the BKA predicts a decline in 2024 due to new smuggling methods that evade detection. Techniques such as drop-offs and chemical alterations of cocaine are being employed by gangs to bypass traditional customs checks. Despite lower seizure figures, the drug supply remains stable, prompting concerns about evolving strategies among international drug traffickers. The situation highlights the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in combating organized crime.
In 2023, European ports faced unprecedented levels of cocaine smuggling, but forecasts from the BKA suggest a decline in seizures for 2024. This decline is attributed to drug gangs employing innovative methods that significantly reduce detection rates.
Last year, German authorities achieved record cocaine seizures, particularly in Hamburg’s bustling port. However, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) anticipates fewer confiscations in the current year.
According to Hans-Joachim Leon, Head of Drug Control at the BKA, “The seizure figures are going down.” He noted that the amounts confiscated at key ports like Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Hamburg are expected to be lower than the previous year. “This suggests that new routes are emerging for bringing cocaine into Europe,” Leon explained.
German customs officials, including those from the Hamburg customs investigation department, have refrained from commenting on the specific figures, directing inquiries to official statistics that are expected to be released by the Federal Minister of Finance in April 2025.
Customs agencies must brace for an escalating challenge from international drug trafficking organizations.
No signs of a downturn
The BKA’s assessment aligns with reports from Belgium and the Netherlands; these nations, crucial entry points for cocaine into Europe, are already witnessing significant drops in seizure volumes for the first half of 2024.
Dutch customs indicated a sharp decline of about 40%, with seizures dropping from 28 tons in the first half of 2023 to just 16 tons in the same timeframe for 2024. Similarly, authorities in Belgium noted a decrease from 43 tons to 22 tons in Antwerp, nearly halving the amount.
This downturn in seizures is not a result of reduced smuggling from South America. Instead, it reflects the adaptability of transnational organized crime. The BKA reports that both the supply and pricing of cocaine remain steady, alongside the drug’s purity.
Furthermore, the lucrative market for the stimulant Captagon is increasingly shifting operations through Germany.
Innovative techniques complicate detection
It appears that law enforcement agencies are struggling with the consequences of their prior successes. According to investigator Leon, traffickers are adjusting to enforcement measures by finding alternative methods to transport cocaine to Europe, bypassing conventional container shipping methods.
One technique involves “drop-offs,” where cocaine is dropped offshore and subsequently retrieved by fishing boats. Although this method poses a high risk of detection and loss, it presents challenges for achieving the volume typical of traditional container smuggling.
Creative smuggling tactics
Another tactic includes chemically altering cocaine prior to its shipment. Authorities have discovered cocaine concealed in materials such as wood pellets, coal, and even hidden within jeans.
Leon explains that cocaine can be transformed to require a specific chemical key for its recovery, making it nearly impossible to identify with current detection methods. Alternatively, it may be shipped as a precursor material and processed into cocaine once in Europe.
Given the pressure from security forces in South America, cartels are adjusting their strategies. “They would naturally outsource operations like any major corporation facing challenges in their homeland,” Leon stated.
This shift also offers added benefits to the traffickers. Previously, rival gangs would often pilfer cocaine shipments upon their arrival in Germany. By delivering the substance as raw materials, the risk of theft decreases, according to Leon, allowing smugglers to control the process until the raw material is transformed into cocaine.
Catch the Kontraste documentary ‘The Cocaine War’ airing today at 9:45 PM on Ersten or via the ARD-Mediathek.
The Erste will cover this topic in the Kontraste program on October 31, 2024, at 9:45 PM.