Huge drugs bust reveals battles on cocaine 'superhighway' | BBC News

Law enforcement agencies across Europe have admitted they are struggling to stop the growing quantity of cocaine crossing the Atlantic from South America.

The Maritime Analysis Operations Centre (MAOC), which polices the transatlantic drug trade, said 100 ships suspected of trafficking drugs to Europe were not stopped last year because the authorities didn't have enough vessels to intercept them.

Up to 600 vessels are monitored by MAOC each day, while record amounts of cocaine are being produced in South America, said its director, Sjoerd Top.

The drug is usually shipped in large container ships to European ports like Rotterdam and Antwerp. But security has been tightened there, so smugglers are looking for alternative routes.

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Post from BBC News on September 08, 2025