A large drug ring trafficking cocaine from Colombia into European countries, including Belgium, was dismantled following major arrests.
The EU's law enforcement agency, Europol, announced the operation on Tuesday, adding that among the arrested are corrupt officials.
The criminal network was able to export large quantities of cocaine into several European ports through commercial cargo ships.
The cartel members avoided customs and police controls by collaborating with corrupt authorities. Europol did not provide further details on the officials.
Among the six suspects recently arrested are the alleged investors, ringleader, corrupted officials, and coordinators and workers involved in the logistics of the operations.
Since the start of the investigation in April 2023, a total of 32 people have been arrested, and 5.8 tonnes of cocaine have been seized in Belgium, Spain, and Colombia. Assets such as properties as well as cell phones and documents were also seized.
The investigation was carried out through a collaboration between the Belgian Federal Police, the Colombian National Police, the Spanish Civil Guard and National Police, and Europol. It was conducted under Europol's Operational Taskforce, which targets cocaine trafficking networks from countries in Latin America.
