Interpol anti-narcotics operation leads to 206 arrests, seizure of $1.6B of illegal drugs, chemicals

LYON, France (AP) — Interpol says more than 200 people have been arrested and some $1.6 billion worth of illegal drugs and precursor chemicals seized as part of a two-month operation against narcotics trafficking across Europe, North America and Africa.

The international police organization, based in Lyon, France, said Operation Lionfish Hurricane in April and May led to the seizure of 615 tons of illegal drugs and chemicals.

In addition, the operation led to the arrest of 206 people and the seizure of 65 stolen cars, some 30,000 commercial-grade detonators diverted from military or commercial mining, and a “narco-sub” — a homemade semi-submersible vessel that’s used to transport cocaine through South American waterways and across the Atlantic — in the jungle of Guyana, Interpol said.

“The value of drugs seized in this two-month operation is higher than the GDP of some countries, which clearly shows the scale of the problem facing law enforcement,” said Jürgen Stock, head of the 196 member-country organization, in a statement. Statistics from the World Bank show fewer than 20 of the world’s smallest countries have economic output of less that $1.6 billion.

Interpol said a record 505 tons of precursor chemicals, used for manufacturing both drugs and explosives, were seized.

The operation, part of a series of “Lionfish” operations since 2013, was funded by the British Home Office and involved 31 countries in addition to other international organizations.