“Desert Light” was a large-scale operation involving the authorities of France, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Meticulous investigations went on for two years, and now, according to the BBC, Europol has finally been able to present success: the investigators seized 30 tons of cocaine and arrested 49 people from six European countries. Among them were some six high calibers who are among the most wanted by international police.
The first arrests were made last year, the last ones took place in November in the course of coordinated raids. The British leader of this super cartel fled to Dubai, from where he continued to pull the strings. According to the AFP news agency, another particularly “big fish” has been caught. He is said to have connections to Dutch crime boss Ridouan Taghi. In addition to drug trafficking, which is said to have controlled a third of the European supply of cocaine, those arrested are also accused of large-scale money laundering. Drug use, and cocaine in particular, is on the rise in Europe. Last year, 3.5 million adults are said to have used the drug.
