EU teams up with several European ports in war on drugs

The European Union's Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson speaks during a conference in the Migration Ministry in Athens, Greece, January 8, 2024. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki/ File photo

ANTWERP (Reuters) - The European Union together with European port authorities on Thursday launched a new public-private alliance to boost expertise and information sharing to help tackle drug smuggling and organised crime in the bloc.

The alliance comes as seizures of cocaine in the EU are at record levels, with more than 300 metric tons seized annually, the EU said in a statement.