Cocaine likely was being used in Europe 200 years earlier than previously recorded, as per a new study. A 17th-century crypt in Milan, Italy, has thrown open a well-kept secret about the drug, as per New Scientist.&nbsp;Surprisingly, the mummified brain tissue of two people found in the crypt contains traces of cocaine.

South America is home to coca leaves, from which cocaine is derived. People have been chewing the leaves for thousands of years in the region. But in Europe, it was chemically isolated from the plant in the 19th century and that is when Europeans started using cocaine.&nbsp;

Coca leaves were found to have psychoactive and therapeutic properties, but Spanish conquerors didn't want the information to spread. So they tried to stop the news from leaving the empire. However, in the 16th century, clues suggest that they tried to export the plant. But history says that the plants didn't travel well, so the project didn't materialise.

But it seems cocaine did move to Europe much earlier than thought. Gaia Giordano at the University of Milan and her colleagues have uncovered data that suggests the same. She and her team studied the remains of nine people who died in the 1600s. They were buried in a crypt that belonged to a hospital that treated the poor.&nbsp;

They studied tiny brain tissue samples of the dead to understand what kind of drugs were being used during the time. What they found was shocking. Two brains, despite having endured almost four centuries of decay, still carry traces of cocaine. Normally, the drug disappears from the body within a few months.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/fossil-hunter-finds-7-foot-long-mammoth-tusk-sticking-out-of-a-creek-in-mississippi-751577">Fossil hunter finds 7-foot-long mammoth tusk sticking out of a creek in Mississippi</a>

So the discovery was quite shocking for Giordano and her team. “It’s very extraordinary to find that molecule,” she said.

<h2>Medicinal or leisurely use of cocaine?</h2>

They also found hygrine, a substance that is released when one chews on coca leaves. These people were patients at the former Ca’ Granda hospital, and its records don't show cocaine being prescribed as a medicine. It was only in the 19th century that it was prescribed by the hospital.&nbsp;

Giordano believes that either these two people were self-medicating, or chewed the leaves for leisure. But how did they get their hands on the leaves considering the Spanish Empire didn't send them out?

This is the big question the researchers are trying to answer. Since the two people belonged to a poor community, it means the leaves must have been easily available for them to chew on. They also likely knew the effects they have on humans.&nbsp;

The finding suggests that coca leaves did survive the journey from South America to Europe and&nbsp;also reached Milan.&nbsp;

Cocaine likely was being used in Europe 200 years earlier than previously recorded, as per a new study. A 17th-century crypt in Milan, Italy, has thrown open a well-kept secret about the drug, as per New Scientist.

Cocaine likely was being used in Europe 200 years earlier than previously recorded, as per a new study. A 17th-century crypt in Milan, Italy, has thrown open a well-kept secret about the drug, as per New Scientist. Surprisingly, the mummified brain tissue of two people found in the crypt contains traces of cocaine. South America is home to coca leaves, from which cocaine is derived. People have been chewing the leaves for thousands of years in the region. But in Europe, it was chemically isolated from the plant in the 19th century and that is when Europeans started using cocaine. Coca leaves were found to have psychoactive and therapeutic properties, but Spanish conquerors didn't want the information to spread. So they tried to stop the news from leaving the empire. However, in the 16th century, clues suggest that they tried to export the plant. But history says that the plants didn't travel well, so the project didn't materialise. But it seems cocaine did move to Europe much earlier than thought. Gaia Giordano at the University of Milan and her colleagues have uncovered data that suggests the same. She and her team studied the remains of nine people who died in the 1600s. They were buried in a crypt that belonged to a hospital that treated the poor. They studied tiny brain tissue samples of the dead to understand what kind of drugs were being used during the time. What they found was shocking. Two brains, despite having endured almost four centuries of decay, still carry traces of cocaine. Normally, the drug disappears from the body within a few months. Also Read: Fossil hunter finds 7-foot-long mammoth tusk sticking out of a creek in Mississippi So the discovery was quite shocking for Giordano and her team. “It’s very extraordinary to find that molecule,” she said. Medicinal or leisurely use of cocaine? They also found hygrine, a substance that is released when one chews on coca leaves. These people were patients at the former Ca’ Granda hospital, and its records don't show cocaine being prescribed as a medicine. It was only in the 19th century that it was prescribed by the hospital. Giordano believes that either these two people were self-medicating, or chewed the leaves for leisure. But how did they get their hands on the leaves considering the Spanish Empire didn't send them out? This is the big question the researchers are trying to answer. Since the two people belonged to a poor community, it means the leaves must have been easily available for them to chew on. They also likely knew the effects they have on humans. The finding suggests that coca leaves did survive the journey from South America to Europe and also reached Milan.

Mummified brains found in Milan crypt unravel secrets about cocaine use in Europe

Ahead of the holiday season, Custom authorities in Belgium have seized 10 tonnes of cocaine worth more than €750 million ($795 million) on Antwerp. Hailed as "White Christmas", the operations under it will see authorities in Belgium and the Netherlands work to capture record levels of cocaine. The substance is smuggled in through the Belgian city of Antwerp.&nbsp;

"White Christmas, that is the period in which the white powder falls en masse from the sky," Kristian Vanderwaeren, the director-general of Belgium’s customs and excise department, told VRT news.

Officials also made a large drug bust a week back when they found 3.9 tonnes of cocaine hidden in a shipment of bananas from Ecuador. Last Wednesday, another 4.8 tonnes in a second load of bananas was found in a shipment from Panama. A third similar shipment being sent to the Netherlands via Antwerp was hiding a further 1.3 tonnes.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/merry-christmas-santa-and-his-helpers-undertake-an-unusual-drug-bust-in-peru-544685">Merry Christmas! 'Santa' and his helpers undertake an unusual drug bust in Peru</a>

The total cocaine seizures for this year are expected to surpass last year's figure of 90 tonnes that worth €6 billion ($6.35 billion).

Law enforcement have been working round the clock to stop the entry of drugs into Europe. Six members of a "super-cartel", who reportedly ran one-third of Europe's cocaine trade from Dubai, were also arrested earlier this year.&nbsp;

However, production of cocaine is still on the rise and it those connected with the trade manage to push it into Europe where the demand is also regularly increasing.&nbsp;

Vanderwaeren also mentioned how smugglers are coming up with innovative ways to stop their shipment from being busted.

“In the past, people mainly used sports bags, which happens less,” he said. "We are seeing more and more that cocaine is being hidden in the structure of shipping containers. That makes it more difficult for us to discover and dismantle."

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Notably, alcohol and drug consumption see a considerable increase over the holidays. During December alone, 600 million units of alcohol are consumed in the UK, a rise of 41 per cent when compared to any other time of year.

In the US, December, January, and March are the most dangerous times of the year for drug-and-alcohol-related deaths, according to CDC. Nearly 91,000 people have lost their lives in the month of December since 1999. According to American Addictions Centres, about 29 per cent Americans said they drink more during the holidays.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Ahead of the holiday season, Custom authorities in Belgium have seized 10 tonnes of cocaine worth more than €750 million ($795 million) on Antwerp. Hailed as "White Christmas", the operations under it will see authorities in Belgium and the Netherlands work to capture record levels of cocaine.

Ahead of the holiday season, Custom authorities in Belgium have seized 10 tonnes of cocaine worth more than €750 million ($795 million) on Antwerp. Hailed as "White Christmas", the operations under it will see authorities in Belgium and the Netherlands work to capture record levels of cocaine. The substance is smuggled in through the Belgian city of Antwerp. "White Christmas, that is the period in which the white powder falls en masse from the sky," Kristian Vanderwaeren, the director-general of Belgium’s customs and excise department, told VRT news. Officials also made a large drug bust a week back when they found 3.9 tonnes of cocaine hidden in a shipment of bananas from Ecuador. Last Wednesday, another 4.8 tonnes in a second load of bananas was found in a shipment from Panama. A third similar shipment being sent to the Netherlands via Antwerp was hiding a further 1.3 tonnes. Also Read | Merry Christmas! 'Santa' and his helpers undertake an unusual drug bust in Peru The total cocaine seizures for this year are expected to surpass last year's figure of 90 tonnes that worth €6 billion ($6.35 billion). Law enforcement have been working round the clock to stop the entry of drugs into Europe. Six members of a "super-cartel", who reportedly ran one-third of Europe's cocaine trade from Dubai, were also arrested earlier this year. However, production of cocaine is still on the rise and it those connected with the trade manage to push it into Europe where the demand is also regularly increasing. Vanderwaeren also mentioned how smugglers are coming up with innovative ways to stop their shipment from being busted. “In the past, people mainly used sports bags, which happens less,” he said. "We are seeing more and more that cocaine is being hidden in the structure of shipping containers. That makes it more difficult for us to discover and dismantle." × Notably, alcohol and drug consumption see a considerable increase over the holidays. During December alone, 600 million units of alcohol are consumed in the UK, a rise of 41 per cent when compared to any other time of year. In the US, December, January, and March are the most dangerous times of the year for drug-and-alcohol-related deaths, according to CDC. Nearly 91,000 people have lost their lives in the month of December since 1999. According to American Addictions Centres, about 29 per cent Americans said they drink more during the holidays. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

A White Christmas! Authorities seize record amounts of cocaine ahead of the holiday season

Huge amounts of cocaine hidden in containers and sometimes even under the ships is making its way into Europe's largest port, Rotterdam. In 2021, nearly 70 tonnes of the drug was intercepted, up 74 per cent from a year before, Ger Scheringa, who leads a team of armed customs officers at the port, said.

A Dubai-based "super cartel" supplies a third of Europe's cocaine through Rotterdam and Antwerp in Belgium, which Europol said it busted last month.

Scheringa told AFP that the jump in cocaine supply and the consequent seizures boils down to the demand. "It seems there are lots of buyers (in Europe). And if there is demand, it is supplied," he said.&nbsp;

In order to stop the white powder from entering Europe, Rotterdam has stepped up customs checks, Scheringa said. However, he doesn't expect Rotterdam's record for seizures to be beaten in 2022. He confessed that the solution to the problem is nowhere in sight as long as people keep taking cocaine.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/colombia-breaks-coca-growing-record-slams-war-on-drugs-527399">Colombia breaks coca-growing record, slams 'failure of war on drugs', moots amnesty</a>

Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said the port city is "drowning in cocaine". He condemned the violence that accompanies the drug trade and wants port authorities to scan all containers arriving from Latin America.

But Scheringa says the "biggest challenge is to find a good balance between the speed of logistics for the port, and checking everything you want".

Sophisticated methods are deployed by gangs to first send the cocaine through Rotterdam and then recover it once inside, Romilda Schaaf, a drugs specialist for the port police, said.&nbsp;

Since tens of thousands of containers pile up at multiple terminals, it is impossible to find the smuggled drugs, unless they have specific information. "It really is a question of finding a needle in a haystack," she told AFP.

More than 70 people have been held so far this year for trafficking-related offences in the port, said Scheringa, including gang members and even port employees. Dockers and officials receive up to 100,000 euros to help get big batches through, Scheringa said.

On December 6, a 43-year-old female officer from Rotterdam was arrested over allegations of corruption and involvement in drug trafficking.

It's easy money, said Schaaf, but "if you say yes once, you can't say no... (so) don't start in the first place!"

Dutch customs officers say good contacts with "source" countries can help control the flood of cocaine. Besides, efforts are needed to tackle corrupt port employees, apart from more checks.

The automation of some parts of the port, and therefore the elimination of the human factor, has also helped to curb corruption, according to two officials.

Meanwhile, violence linked to the cocaine trade has also reached the Dutch society.

A famous Dutch journalist and a lawyer involved in the trial of an alleged drug lord were assassinated in 2019 and 2021.&nbsp;

"The aim is really to assure people that they can live in safety, and that no politician, lawyer or crime reporter should have to be under protection because this junk is coming into our country," said Schaaf.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Huge amounts of cocaine hidden in containers and sometimes even under the ships is making its way into Europe's largest port, Rotterdam. In 2021, nearly 70 tonnes of the drug was intercepted, up 74 per cent from a year before, Ger Scheringa, who leads a team of armed customs officers at the port, said.

Huge amounts of cocaine hidden in containers and sometimes even under the ships is making its way into Europe's largest port, Rotterdam. In 2021, nearly 70 tonnes of the drug was intercepted, up 74 per cent from a year before, Ger Scheringa, who leads a team of armed customs officers at the port, said. A Dubai-based "super cartel" supplies a third of Europe's cocaine through Rotterdam and Antwerp in Belgium, which Europol said it busted last month. Scheringa told AFP that the jump in cocaine supply and the consequent seizures boils down to the demand. "It seems there are lots of buyers (in Europe). And if there is demand, it is supplied," he said. In order to stop the white powder from entering Europe, Rotterdam has stepped up customs checks, Scheringa said. However, he doesn't expect Rotterdam's record for seizures to be beaten in 2022. He confessed that the solution to the problem is nowhere in sight as long as people keep taking cocaine. Also Read | Colombia breaks coca-growing record, slams 'failure of war on drugs', moots amnesty Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said the port city is "drowning in cocaine". He condemned the violence that accompanies the drug trade and wants port authorities to scan all containers arriving from Latin America. But Scheringa says the "biggest challenge is to find a good balance between the speed of logistics for the port, and checking everything you want". Sophisticated methods are deployed by gangs to first send the cocaine through Rotterdam and then recover it once inside, Romilda Schaaf, a drugs specialist for the port police, said. Since tens of thousands of containers pile up at multiple terminals, it is impossible to find the smuggled drugs, unless they have specific information. "It really is a question of finding a needle in a haystack," she told AFP. More than 70 people have been held so far this year for trafficking-related offences in the port, said Scheringa, including gang members and even port employees. Dockers and officials receive up to 100,000 euros to help get big batches through, Scheringa said. On December 6, a 43-year-old female officer from Rotterdam was arrested over allegations of corruption and involvement in drug trafficking. It's easy money, said Schaaf, but "if you say yes once, you can't say no... (so) don't start in the first place!" Dutch customs officers say good contacts with "source" countries can help control the flood of cocaine. Besides, efforts are needed to tackle corrupt port employees, apart from more checks. The automation of some parts of the port, and therefore the elimination of the human factor, has also helped to curb corruption, according to two officials. Meanwhile, violence linked to the cocaine trade has also reached the Dutch society. A famous Dutch journalist and a lawyer involved in the trial of an alleged drug lord were assassinated in 2019 and 2021. "The aim is really to assure people that they can live in safety, and that no politician, lawyer or crime reporter should have to be under protection because this junk is coming into our country," said Schaaf. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

A cocaine deluge has taken over Europe's biggest port