Colombia’s cartels target Europe with cocaine, corruption and torture
Raids by Belgian police have lifted the lid on a sinister new front in the drugs war
By Daniel Boffey / The Guardian, BRUSSELS
At 5am on a chilly Tuesday morning last month, 1,600 police officers and balaclava-wearing special forces, bristling with arms and battering rams, were ordered into action around the Belgian port city of Antwerp.
More than 200 addresses were raided in what was the largest police operation ever conducted in the country and potentially one of the most significant moves yet against the increasingly powerful narco-gangs of western Europe.
There are hopes that Operation Sky will herald the downfall of a generation of local bosses, although the Belgian and Dutch “godfathers” largely now hide out in Dubai and Turkey, hoping to be out of reach of the authorities.
A Tsunami Of Cocaine : How The EU Developed A Huge Drug Problem forbes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from forbes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Last modified on Sun 11 Apr 2021 06.00 EDT
At 5am on a chilly Tuesday morning last month, 1,600 police officers and balaclava-wearing special forces, bristling with arms and battering rams, were ordered into action around the Belgian port city of Antwerp.
More than 200 addresses were raided in what was the largest police operation ever conducted in the country and potentially one of the most significant moves yet against the increasingly powerful narco-gangs of western Europe.
There are hopes that Operation Sky will herald the downfall of a generation of local bosses, although the Belgian and Dutch âgodfathersâ largely now hide out in Dubai and Turkey, hoping to be out of reach of the authorities.