INTERPOL Operation Lionfish 2017

More than 55 tonnes of drugs have been seized in Operation Lionfish III, an INTERPOL-led initiative targeting the illicit trafficking of drugs to Europe by transnational organized crime groups in Latin America and West Africa.

The seized drugs included 52 tonnes of cocaine, cannabis and heroin, with the cocaine haul alone estimated to be worth approximately USD 950 million. The operation also led to the dismantlement of 18 clandestine drug laboratories and other seizures, including three tonnes of chemical precursors, weapons and cash.

The ten-day (6-15 March) operation, which also resulted in the arrest of 357 suspects, was held under the framework of INTERPOL’s CRIMJUST Project, managed jointly with the UNODC and Transparency International and funded by the European Union.

It aims to strengthen criminal investigations and cooperation along the cocaine routes in Latin America, the Caribbean and West Africa by addressing gaps in law enforcement capacity and interregional coordination.

Видео INTERPOL Operation Lionfish 2017 канала INTERPOL