The amount of cocaine seized in the port of Hamburg has tripled in the last five years.
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Tones of cocaine from South America are transported to Europe through large ports, with the port of Hamburg playing a central role in the drug supply scheme to Germany, writes Bild.
If in 2019, according to official data, 9.5 tons of cocaine were found there, then in 2023 this figure increased to almost 34 tons. This makes Hamburg the third most important port for drug cartels in Europe after Antwerp (Belgium) and Rotterdam (Netherlands) with 116 and 59 tons respectively.
At the same time, officials observe an unspoken rule, according to which for every kilogram of cocaine detected, approximately nine kilograms of the drug end up on the European black market.
Hamburg authorities fear that the introduction of tight controls at the port of Rotterdam will force cocaine suppliers to transport even larger volumes of drugs through the port of Hamburg.
In February 2021, the largest shipment of cocaine ever encountered by law enforcement in Europe was seized in the port of Hamburg. Then customs officers immediately discovered 16 tons of white powder hidden in shipping containers on a cargo ship from Paraguay.
Europe has already overtaken the US as the world’s largest cocaine market and is fast becoming a global hub for drug trafficking. This is a very alarming event, we must make more efforts to reverse everything,” Deputy Chairman of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas commented on this situation.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.