A sweeping European operation dismantled six drug laboratories in Germany and identified 24 across Europe, leading to 85 arrests in Europe and 45 in Germany as authorities target synthetic drug production.

Authorities seized about 1,000 tons of precursor chemicals, with potential drug yields exceeding 300 tons of MDMA, amphetamine, and methamphetamine.

During an Action Day in Papenburg, 15,000 liters of chemical waste were found and a professional cannabis operation with roughly 1,350 plants was uncovered, alongside one more arrest.

The labs reportedly shared information and market space rather than forming a single chain of command, underscoring health risks and environmental damage from chemical waste, which was sometimes dumped in forests.

Officials warn of the ongoing health and environmental threats and stress the societal task of protecting children and youth from synthetic drugs.

The operation highlighted violence, corruption, money laundering, and environmental damage from toxic waste, with more than 120,000 liters of hazardous waste discarded.

Tino Igelmann, head of the Customs Administration, praised excellent cooperation among national and international investigators.

The operation involved close coordination among police, prosecutors, and international partners, described as a unique scale of success.

Lab chemists performed complex processes to produce drugs, with explosion risks and an interconnected network of labs where production shares were partly divided rather than controlled by a single organization.

The production relies on skilled chemists who mix the drugs in labs, with high danger due to unknown composition and significant health and environmental risks.

Officials describe it as the largest European investigation into illegal chemical production and transport to date, lasting about a year with cross-border cooperation.

Most chemicals originated outside the EU, notably from China, with a Polish company distributing them to warehouses or labs; imports were relabeled and redirected through six-country coordination coordinated from Poland.