Europol's 2025 Drugs Conference Highlights Major Synthetic Drug Trafficking Crackdowns in Europe
Europol hosted 191 experts from 51 countries in November 2025 to address synthetic drug trafficking challenges. Key operations targeted a transnational network supplying methamphetamine precursors across Europe, leading to seizures of over 40 tonnes of chemicals. The production and trafficking of synthetic drugs, especially within the EU, continue to rise, prompting intensified international cooperation to combat these threats.
On 6 and 7 November 2025, Europol organized its annual Drugs Conference in The Hague, gathering 191 experts from 51 countries to discuss emerging trends in synthetic drug production and cocaine trafficking. The conference emphasized the dynamic and large-scale synthetic drug market in the EU, produced for both local consumption and export. Leading up to the event, law enforcement in Central and Eastern Europe, supported by Europol and Eurojust, dismantled an international criminal network responsible for importing chemical precursors mainly from China, smuggling drugs, and producing methamphetamine. This coordinated action included authorities from Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova, seizing over 40 tonnes of precursor chemicals in Hungary and Germany. These chemicals were shipped through major ports such as Hamburg and Rotterdam, then distributed to enable large-scale drug manufacturing. Europol provided crucial operational and analytical support during these investigations, highlighting that the synthetic drug trade remains a critical and escalating security threat in Europe. The agency emphasized the urgency of strengthening international collaboration to dismantle criminal supply chains and disrupt synthetic drug trafficking activities across the continent.
