Cannabis smuggling into Europe from North America and Thailand has risen sharply, prompting Europol to set up a new operational taskforce to target the criminal networks involved.
Legal cannabis markets in Canada, parts of the United States and Thailand have created an oversupply of high-potency products that can be diverted into illegal channels, Europol said in a release on Friday.
Organised crime groups have exploited differences in national rules and used methods including concealment in cargo, front companies and online marketplaces to move cannabis into Europe, it added.
EU member states have reported a dramatic increase in smuggling since mid-2023, including shipments moved by air cargo, containers and couriers.
The agency linked the trafficking networks to violence, corruption and money laundering. It also said high-THC products — THC is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis — can present health risks, and that illegal cultivation may involve unregulated use of pesticides.
Airport case sheds light on smuggling methods
Europol said it supported Belgian and French authorities on 30 September 2026 in dismantling a criminal organisation smuggling cannabis and cocaine through Brussels Airport.
The investigation began in February 2025 after 30 kilograms of cocaine were found in abandoned luggage from Mexico.
Searches were carried out in Belgium and France, leading to 19 arrests in Belgium and two in France, including people Europol classed as High Value Targets.
Police seized more than €57,000 in cash, a money-counting machine, eight vehicles, two firearms, drugs, electronic devices and other items, as well as jewellery and a luxury watch.
The organisation used couriers and “extractors” — people who bought last-minute low-cost airline tickets to access baggage reclaim — to collect suitcases containing drugs and move them to nearby hotels.
The network later recruited complicit airport employees to remove drugs from luggage before it reached the carousel.
Europol said its new Operational Taskforce will bring together customs, police, financial intelligence units and international partners to strengthen border checks, disrupt financial flows linked to cannabis trafficking and share information on emerging smuggling techniques.
Criminal groups have also started using a West African route already associated with cocaine trafficking to move cannabis.
