Swedish customs recently made one of the country's largest-ever cocaine seizures, confiscating around 1.4 tons of the drug at a port near Stockholm.
This large-scale anti-narcotics operation also led to the arrest of six men suspected of being involved in transporting the illegal substance.
Details of the Seizure
According to the Associated Press, the cocaine was found in a shipping container at the port of Nynäshamn on April 18. Stefan Granat, a Swedish customs representative, explained that the drugs were likely destined for the European market, indicating that Sweden was merely a transit point.
"If it's as big a batch as we think it is, it's one of the largest in history," Granat stated, adding that they're still waiting for final confirmation of the exact amount of cocaine seized.
Granat also noted the dramatic increase in cocaine trafficking through Europe, observing that just a few years ago, finding 100 kilograms of cocaine was considered significant.
Now, larger quantities are becoming more common, pointing to a broader trend.
European Trends in Cocaine Trafficking
In 2022, Swedish customs seized 822 kilograms of cocaine, setting a new record that surpassed the previous record set in 2018 by over 300 kilograms.
Belgium's port city of Antwerp has become known as Europe's "cocaine gateway," with large quantities of drug shipments flowing through its docks. Belgian customs seized 116 tons of cocaine in Antwerp in 2023, marking a record for the second consecutive year.
Meanwhile, Turkey, which is becoming an important transit hub for cocaine from South America to Europe, recently announced the seizure of the third-largest batch of cocaine in its history.
