Over 126 tonnes of cocaine were seized in or from West Africa between January 2019 and June 2024. That figure represents enough powder to supply London’s entire user population for months.
Meanwhile across the Atlantic, F-35 jets now patrol Caribbean waters hunting Venezuelan drug vessels.
Europe watches America’s military response to cartels whilst Balkan crime groups quietly transform African ports into cocaine superhighways.
Booming Cocaine Business in Numbers
The statistics paint a worrying picture.
In March 2025, Ghana authorities intercepted over 3.3 tonnes of cocaine worth $350 million hidden under sand in a truck. Guinea-Bissau police seized 2.63 tonnes in a single operation earlier this year.
The Gulf of Guinea alone accounts for 30.8 tonnes of seized cocaine since 2019. Cabo Verde recorded 18.2 tonnes, whilst Senegal tallied 15.7 tonnes. These seizures represent only what authorities catch. Experts estimate 40 tonnes pass through the region annually.
Since 2019, Western Balkans criminal organisations have expanded operations from European strongholds into African ports. The Montenegrin Kavač and Škaljari clans now operate sophisticated supply chains through multiple countries.
How Balkan Groups Built African Networks
Albanian-speaking crime groups maintain major operations in Senegal and The Gambia. These organisations collaborate with Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital cartel to move multi-tonne shipments.
Operation GORGON recently arrested 15 key figures in an Albanian network. Police seized €1 million cash plus significant real estate. The operation happened in Tirana, yet investigators traced connections to cocaine trafficking across continents.
Local brokers coordinate West African logistics for European crime bosses. These middlemen organise port access and bribe security officials. They also connect different criminal networks that might otherwise never cooperate.
Geographic Advantages Drive Criminal Investment
West Africa sits perfectly between South American producers and European consumers. Expanding maritime infrastructure offers ideal cover for smuggling operations. Container terminals in Tema, Dakar, and Conakry handle legitimate cargo alongside hidden cocaine shipments.
Rising European demand pushes traffickers toward alternative routes. Direct Atlantic crossings now bring too much scrutiny from naval patrols. West African ports offer storage and trans-shipment facilities that bypass coastal monitoring.
The economics work well for traffickers. A kilogram of cocaine costs $2,000 in Colombia but sells for $50,000 in European cities. African transit adds minimal expense whilst reducing seizure risks.
Military Force Against Organised Crime
America’s recent actions show how governments can escalate responses. Last week, U.S. forces killed eleven people aboard a Venezuelan drug vessel. Ten F-35 jets now patrol Caribbean waters hunting narcotics operations.
European navies already intercept cocaine shipments in international waters. French forces netted nearly six tonnes worth millions last week alone. However, Europe lacks America’s appetite for lethal operations against organised crime.
Over 25 tonnes of cocaine were seized in West Africa during 2022. That represents more than triple the amounts from previous decades.
What Happens Next Matters
Balkan criminal groups invest directly in African infrastructure and protection networks. Their growing independence from Italian or Brazilian partners means deeper regional entrenchment. Violence typically follows when trafficking groups compete for territory.
European governments could push partnership over confrontation. Intelligence sharing prevents more cocaine reaching European markets than dramatic military strikes after departure. Smart targeting focuses on brokers who connect different criminal networks.
African governments deserve real partnership rather than imposed solutions. European investment in port security and judicial systems builds lasting cooperation. Economic opportunities for young people reduce recruitment pools for criminal organisations.
Yet the stakes keep rising. West African cocaine seizures spiked in 2019 and remain unprecedentedly high. Europe can choose smarter approaches before its own Venezuelan moment arrives at Mediterranean shores.
Keep up with Daily Euro Times for more updates!
Read also:
Germany Upsets La Bella Vita With the Mafia
Sudan’s Emergence as a New Captagon Hub
