The Public Prosecution Service is doing everything possible to counter the wave of cocaine from Latin America and the large criminal financial flows of international drug trafficking. International cooperation is the key to success in combating organized crime. This week, dozens of magistrates from Latin America, Europe, and West Africa are sharing their knowledge and experiences in Amsterdam during a two-day conference.
The international conference, which is unique for the Netherlands, is an initiative of the National Public Prosecutors Office. Minister David van Weel of Justice and Security opened the meeting on Wednesday.
The focus of the attending prosecutors-general and public prosecutors is on trends and developments in the countries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The Netherlands presents the newly developed system approach. The goal of the conference is for the participating countries to find common ground in combating criminal organizations. Crime knows no borders, and neither does the approach to it. Therefore, countries worldwide are joining forces.
The need for international cooperation is greater than ever. The production, trade, and distribution of cocaine form a chain that must be collectively broken. During the conference, countries share best practices and strategies.
New Approach
The Netherlands is an important hub in the cocaine trade. Its strategic location and well-developed infrastructure with ports make our country an indispensable gateway for cocaine shipments from Latin America, which are then distributed throughout Europe.
To sustainably disrupt the criminal drug networks, the Netherlands has developed a new strategy. A system approach that treats the networks as a criminal business. They are professionally operating businesses and freelancers – often violent – that function thanks to underground financial flows and are facilitated by corruption, criminal communication platforms, and leveraging legitimate transport lines.
Global Fight Against Cocaine Wave and Criminal Financial Flows
Guys and Kilos
Where the more classical approach was focused on the guys and the kilos, the system approach focuses on dismantling the criminal business model as a whole. And the Netherlands cannot do this alone; international cooperation is essential for achieving lasting results in the new strategy.
In ten years, cocaine seizures in the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp have multiplied tenfold by 2023. However, 2024 has shown a sharp decline, according to Martin van Nes, a public prosecutor at the National Public Prosecutors Office. “That may seem like a positive development, but we do not believe there is a decrease in cocaine imports. On the contrary, we suspect that more and more cocaine is entering Europe.”
Waterbed Effect
This is hardly visible, as criminal groups are moving to smaller ports in Spain, France, and Italy. “This waterbed effect shows that drug criminals adapt rapidly. New alternative routes via West Africa are also attracting the attention of law enforcement agencies.”
Another development in drug smuggling is that cocaine is literally being removed from the sight of law enforcement. Van Nes: “Scans in the ports do not see the cocaine, drug dogs do not smell it, and even cocaine tests at the port are usually negative.”
The cocaine is washed in Colombia in so-called carrier materials, such as coal, cardboard, shampoo, or jeans. In cocaine washing facilities, drug cooks extract it again. Van Nes has information that about fifty percent of the cocaine destined for Europe is washed in carrier materials.
Underground Banking
Colombia remains the main producer of cocaine. In 2023, 2,600 tons of cocaine were produced in Colombia, a record amount. The cocaine trade remains highly profitable. For the gigantic financial flows generated by it, criminals make use of a global underground banking network.
“Drug organizations depend on a small group of key players for financing their transactions,” says Peter Huttenhuis, also a public prosecutor at the National Public Prosecutors Office. “The underground bankers move large sums of money in various currencies rapidly through their network around the world. We see that the use of cryptocurrencies is increasing. Especially stablecoins are popular. They are linked to the US dollar and therefore stable.”
Key Players
So far, the key players, about 20-30 individuals, have been identified. Some of them are Dutch with often Pakistani or Indian descent. “Our interventions are aimed at these individuals who operate at the heart of the underground banking network. That is where we can achieve the greatest impact. Unfortunately, the reality is also that some of them live in countries where we cannot easily arrest them.”
Underground banking is a billion-dollar business. The vast majority of drug transactions happen this way. Huttenhuis: “International cooperation is also essential here for a successful approach. We need to better understand the underground banking network. Therefore, we must share information about these networks globally. We all have a piece of the puzzle that we need to put together. Only then can we successfully dismantle these networks.”