Drug trafficking, the poison of Europe — Season 1
About this season
The specter of drug trafficking haunts Europe. Struggling with ultra-violent criminal groups that control the vast majority of cocaine trade, European police forces are overwhelmed. The epicenter of all this trafficking: the Netherlands. A nation at the forefront of international trade and drug policy. This two-part film delves into the origins of European drug trafficking through the unique history of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Episodes (2)
1. The Wealth of a Nation
7.0Aired 21 November 2025 • 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.
2. The Weakness of States
7.0Aired 28 November 2025 • 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.