In 2020, 765 cases of drug couriers were reported at airports. In total, nearly 6.9 tons of illegal drugs of all kinds were stopped from entering the European market or from being redirected worldwide. Customs at airports carried out 85% inspections on arrival, 13% during transit and 2% on departure.

This information was published by the World Customs Organization (WCO) Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Western Europe (RILO WE). The annual review of seizures carried out at airports and in mail centres in the member countries of the Pompidou Group's Co-operation Group of Drug Control Services at European Airports.

One of Malta Customs' drug seizures featured amongst the top 10 airport seizures in 2020. The case dates back to September 13, 2020, following a suspicious irregularity in the scan image of a passenger's luggage arriving from Madrid airport, in Spain. The suitcase was emptied of its contents and physically examined thoroughly. This led to the discovery of a false bottom revealing 3 packages of cocaine, wrapped in silver foil weighing 9.58kg.

In nearly 53% of the reported attempts, the drugs were hidden in the courier's luggage, whether in false bottoms or walls, between carried effects, or in special concealments discovered by X-ray scanning. This was followed by 22% of the seizures in which the drugs were swallowed or stuffed into the body and in 15% of the cases, the drugs were packed on the body or hidden in clothing.
The most common departure countries of drug couriers arrested at European airports, based on number of seizure records, were the Netherland Antilles (21%), Brazil (12%), Suriname (7%) and Spain (6%), with the Netherlands (35%), Spain (13%) and Ireland (10%) being the most frequent destinations.

As in previous years, cocaine seizures still accounted for by far the largest share, at 63%. Couriers tried to smuggle nearly 1.9 tons of cocaine from abroad. However, the number of cocaine couriers arrested at airports declined by 49% compared to 2019; and the amount of cocaine carried by couriers declined by 43%. The data showed that more cocaine couriers from Ethiopia were arrested in the final quarter of 2020 than in previous years.

In terms of the total quantity, although declining, Khat was again dominant, with 3.8 tons of the stimulant drug seized was reported in the passengers' luggage.
In 2020, more cannabis was brought into Europe by air passengers - a rise of 21% in terms of number of seizures. In particular, the amount of seized cannabis resin from Spain and Morocco increased by 161%.