Drug trafficking, the poison of Europe

The Wealth of a Nation

52 min

For centuries, the Netherlands built its prosperity on mastery of the oceans, colonial conquest, and a capitalism based on global trade. But behind the facades of the splendid mansions lining Amsterdam's canals lies a forgotten history: that of a pioneering country in the drug trade. From colonial opium dens to Moroccan hashish and synthetic drugs, this first episode reveals how, over several centuries, Dutch economic history created a gray area between legality and crime. A gray area that would pave the way for criminal organizations capable of a level of violence previously unknown in Europe.

The Weakness of States

61 min

In the 2000s, Latin American cartels discovered a new El Dorado in Northern Europe. In Rotterdam, the continent's leading port, street gangs joined forces with Colombians to build their empire. Fueled by explosive demand and exorbitant profits, the cocaine trade unleashes an unprecedented wave of violence: assassinations, shootings, threats against the state. Overwhelmed, governments organize a counterattack. In utmost secrecy, European police forces infiltrate the criminals' encrypted communication networks. One of the biggest drug busts in history sends tens of thousands of traffickers to prison. But, to everyone's astonishment, the networks re-establish themselves almost exactly as they were, as if by magic. The war on drugs is a never-ending war.