Bangladesh, Sept. 13 -- The United Kingdom has dealt a decisive blow to an ambitious transnational drug trafficking operation, jailing two suspected ringleaders who spent years orchestrating schemes to flood the country with cocaine and cannabis. The convictions come at a time when Europe faces a historic surge in narcotics smuggling, with drug cartels exploiting maritime routes, container shipments, and the continents porous supply chains to feed a multibillion-euro trade.

According to the UKs National Crime Agency (NCA), the ringleaders-Lee McClenaghan, 57, and Lea Talbot, 55-were the brains behind an elaborate plan to sail 600 kilograms of cocaine across the Atlantic. Their method was as bold as it was deceptive: they intended to disg...