A major drug trafficking operation has been uncovered in the port of Antwerp, Belgium, where cocaine was extracted from shipments arriving from South America.

The cocaine was concealed within these shipments and subsequently funneled to the Calabrian mafia in Italy, circulating through various European countries.

In a notable blunder, a drug trafficker mistakenly sent 95 kilograms of cocaine to Aldi supermarkets in Antwerp, underscoring the scale of the operation.

The crimes associated with this operation occurred between 2019 and 2023, encompassing charges of importation, exportation, manufacturing, and possession of narcotics, as well as involvement in a criminal organization and possession of firearms.

The investigation has extended across multiple countries, including Germany, Ukraine, and Italy, reflecting the international nature of the drug trade.

During the legal proceedings, some lawyers sought to separate the trials due to their clients' connections to a related case in Brussels, but this request was largely denied, with the exception of one defendant arrested in Italy.

Currently, there is a related case involving 128 defendants pending judgment in Brussels, while the Liège court is addressing extraction activities that date back to 2020.

The 24 defendants in the current case range in age from 30 to 75 years, with five in detention; notably, only four of the 19 released defendants attended the hearing.

The court proceedings are set to last nine days, concluding on October 31, and are being conducted in Dutch, Italian, and Albanian.

Legal arguments are also being presented regarding the use of encrypted communication through SkyECC, which has become a focal point in the case.