More than 6,500 arrests. Over 100 tonnes of cocaine intercepted. Nearly €900 million seized. All linked to a Europol-led investigation into a single encrypted phone network: EncroChat! And what they found changed everything. Organised crime doesn’t stop at borders. And neither can the response. In this video, we look at the EU strategy against drugs. Our country is very popular as a transit country because we have an extensive logistics infrastructure with seaports, airports, motorways, railways and so on. One of the most important logistics hubs is the Port of Antwerp. Unfortunately, the port is now being misused for illegal drug trafficking, especially cocaine coming from Latin American countries towards Antwerpen. Every year, millions of shipments pass through European ports. And traffickers exploit exactly that. A large share of cocaine enters Europe through shipping containers. Most of the time, hidden in ordinary goods, like bananas. Because they are fast moving, perishable, less likely to be checked. Containers arriving from Latin America first undergo a risk analysis and high-risk containers are then scanned. Of every mobile scanner operating here, 60% were funded by the European Union. We can certainly say that this has had an impact. Every interception means lost profits for criminal networks, disrupted supply chains and new intelligence for investigators. The goal is not just to seize drugs. It is to disrupt the business model of organised crime. Traffickers don't rely on just one route. When pressure increases in one port, they move to another port, to another city, to another country. This is where the European response becomes critical. Criminal networks operate across borders, so the response must operate across borders too. Through Europol, investigators from different countries can combine intelligence, track the same network across multiple jurisdictions and coordinate simultaneous operations. That means criminal groups can no longer rely on national borders to protect them. Instead of isolated arrests and seizures, authorities can dismantle entire networks operating across Europe. At the same time, the EU also coordinates with Latin American authorities to disrupt trafficking routes before shipments even reach European ports. But there's another angle. Not all drugs come into Europe. More and more are produced inside Europe. Synthetic drug labs can be hidden in ordinary buildings and they are harder to detect. But the EU is adapting not only by stopping drugs, but by stopping the chemicals used to make them. New rules now target the substances criminals use to bypass controls. And since 2025, the EU Drugs Agency has taken on a stronger role: tracking these substances across Europe. Drug trafficking fuels in Europe. Drug trafficking is not just a problem for the police, customs, and the justice system. It really is a societal problem. Violence, arms trafficking, corruption, money laundering and feelings of insecurity are on the rise. That means prevention and awareness are essential. There's another part of the system that often gets missed: demand. As long as people are buying drugs, the system keeps going. In Europe, around 7,500 people die every year from drug overdose. That's why the EU also works on what happens after drugs enter the market. Prevention, treatment and harm reduction. Things like support services and medicines such as naloxone, which can reverse an overdose in minutes. Because tackling drug trafficking isn't only about stopping supply. It's about reducing demand and reducing harm where it already exists. When you put it all together, drug trafficking in Europe isn't just one problem. It's a system, it's a network, which means no country can tackle it alone. That is why the EU response operates on multiple fronts at the same time. Intercepting drugs before they reach the market. Targeting the criminal networks behind them. Shutting down illegal production. Tracking the chemicals used to manufacture drugs and helping prevent the harms these drugs cause in our communities. Because organised crime is adapting and Europe's response has to adapt too. If you found this useful, subscribe for more explainers and let us know what topic we should break down next.