europol warns that international drug traffickers are adopting new high‑tech methods to smuggle cocaine into europe. a report released on january 27, 2026 notes traffickers use semi‑submersible vessels, high‑speed boats, drones and sophisticated concealment techniques to avoid detection. routes now favour west african transit, with drugs transferred between ships at sea and then flown or driven to the canary islands, from where they reach andlandia, spain, and spread across the european union. the agency highlighted that major ports such as antwerp or rotterdam are now rarely used. europol executive director catherine de bolle stressed the need for international cooperation to counter the increasingly diversified smuggling tactics. the report points to the surge in latin american production and growing european demand as key drivers of this unprecedented cocaine traffic.

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