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French authorities have dismantled a major synthetic drug network with suspected links to Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa cartel, seizing more than 200 kilograms of crystal meth and arresting 16 people across Europe, Europol said Wednesday.
The operation, led by the French National Gendarmerie with support from Belgian police and Europol, targeted a transnational criminal group accused of manufacturing and trafficking methamphetamine throughout the EU and beyond.
Two alleged ringleaders—a French and an Algerian national—were identified as key figures in the group, which investigators say relied heavily on logistical support and technical expertise from Mexican cartel operatives.
According to Europol, the investigation highlights the growing cooperation between Mexican cartels and European criminal networks, with both sides depending on each other to expand their operations across continents. Strong links with criminal gangs active in Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and New Zealand were also uncovered.
Authorities say the group produced synthetic drugs in EU-based labs using chemicals sourced from China, then funneled large quantities into European and global markets. In one raid last June, French police seized 216 kilograms of crystal meth and arrested two suspects, triggering a broader investigation.
The main suspects allegedly oversaw every step of the production and distribution chain—from smuggling chemical precursors to setting up labs and handling sales. The group is also accused of using cryptocurrency to launder drug profits.
Earlier this month, on May 19, French and Belgian police carried out coordinated raids, arresting 16 suspects—including one Mexican-American national—and searching 16 properties. They seized three vehicles, luxury goods worth 100,000 euros ($113,033), 80,000 euros ($90,426) in frozen bank accounts, electronics, and some 40,000 euros ($45,224) in cash and cryptocurrency.
Officers also uncovered a former drug lab with traces of meth production and signs of chemical dumping. Discarded containers and buried waste revealed efforts to conceal the environmental impact of the group’s operations.
Synthetic drug production in Europe is on the rise, according to the EU’s Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) for 2025. Once limited to a few countries, labs are now appearing across the bloc, fueling violent competition and the infiltration of legitimate business structures.
A 2022 joint report by Europol and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration already pointed to increasing links between Mexican cartels and EU-based gangs, with cartel operatives seen supporting meth and cocaine production in Europe.
