Europe police dismantle 24 labs, seize 1,000 tonnes of chemicals in largest-ever synthetic drug bust, dealing a massive blow to organised crime

European police announced on Wednesday that they had dismantled a major synthetic drug network operating across several countries in what authorities called the “largest-ever operation” of its kind, delivering a “massive blow” to organised crime.

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The operation resulted in the seizure of around 1,000 tonnes of chemicals used to produce MDMA, amphetamine and meth, and the closure of 24 industrial-scale laboratories.

More than 85 suspects were arrested, including the two suspected ringleaders from Poland, Europol said.

Andy Kraag, head of Europol’s European Serious Organised Crime Centre, told AFP that the year-long operation, involving Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain, was unprecedented.

“I’ve been in this business for a while. This is by far the largest-ever operation we did against synthetic drug production and distribution,” Kraag said.

“I think this is genuinely a massive blow to organised crime groups involved in drug trafficking, specifically of synthetic drugs.”

The investigation began in 2024, after Polish police discovered a network importing vast quantities of legal chemicals from China and India.

Authorities later found that the chemicals were being repackaged, mislabelled and sent across the European Union to labs producing the drugs.

While most arrests were of Polish nationals, Belgian and Dutch citizens are also believed to have been involved.

Kraag described the operation as part of a “supply-chain strategy” designed to disrupt the synthetic drug industry at its source.

“These criminal groups, they don’t have their supply anymore,” Kraag said, highlighting the broader consequences of synthetic drug production, including violence, corruption and money laundering.

Environmental damage was also noted, with authorities seizing more than 120,000 litres of toxic chemical waste that would have been dumped on land or in streams.

“Today, it’s profit for criminals. Tomorrow, it’s pollution,” Kraag said.

Europol warned that other major distributors remain under investigation.

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“This is one of the biggest distributors. But it’s not the only one. So we’re still looking,” Kraag said.