Why Are Some European Drug Gangs Burying Cocaine Instead of Selling It?

The report examines Europe-bound cocaine trafficking orchestrated by Western Balkan gangs, Italy’s ’Ndrangheta, and Brazil’s PCC, highlighting increasingly sophisticated concealment methods—especially chemical camouflage—that fuel the growth of extraction labs across Europe and can evade standard tests. Analysts estimate up to 20% of shipments now use chemical camouflage, while wholesale prices have halved in some markets even as retail prices remain stable and purity rises. Traffickers are reportedly hoarding supplies to push prices back up.