Dutch police help with major EU bust of synthetic drug ring; "Largest ever operation"
The Dutch police were involved in the bust of a major synthetic drug ring working across several European countries, described as the “largest ever operation” of its kind by Europol. The involved authorities shut down 24 industrial-scale drug labs, seized around 1,000 tons of chemicals used to make synthetic drugs, and arrested 85 suspects, the news wire AFP reported.
The operation involved police from the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Spain and was coordinated by Europol. “This is by far the largest-ever operation we did against synthetic drug production and distribution," Andy Kraag of Europol told AFP on Wednesday. "I think this is genuinely a massive blow to organised crime groups involved in drug trafficking, specifically of synthetic drugs.”
The investigation started in 2024 when the Polish police noticed a network importing large amounts of synthetic drug-making chemicals from China and India, repacking and mislabeling them, and then sending them across the European Union. Investigators traced those deliveries to industrial-scale laboratories producing synthetic drugs.
The majority of the arrested suspects have Polish nationality, including the two alleged ring leaders. Several Dutch and Belgians were also arrested, but AFP did not have exact figures.
According to Kraag, this operation has choked off the supply chain of “one of the biggest distributors” of synthetic drugs. The investigation is ongoing, also into other distributors.
Kraag pointed out that this was also an environmental win. The authorities seized over 120,000 liters of toxic drug waste, which criminals typically dump in nature. "Today, it's profit for criminals. Tomorrow, it's pollution," Kraag told the news wire.
