BRUSSELS (AP) – Belgian authorities said Wednesday that customs agents seized 116 tons of cocaine at the port of Antwerp in 2023, setting a record for the second year in a row.
Demand for cocaine is rapidly increasing across the European Union, with governments blaming the drug trade for outbreaks of violence in major port cities such as Antwerp, Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Marseille in France.
The port of Antwerp is a major gateway to the continent for Latin American cocaine cartels.
Belgian authorities said the amount of cocaine seized at Europe’s second-largest port was up from 110 tonnes in 2022, adding that Colombia, Ecuador and Panama remained the largest countries of origin. Customs Minister Okje de Vries said the fight against cocaine smuggling “continues to require continued attention and investment”.
In Belgium, federal authorities have announced that drug trafficking is rapidly infiltrating society as foreign criminal organizations have deep roots in the country and carry out violent and ruthless operations.
Over the past four years, Antwerp has seen dozens of grenade attacks, fires and small bombs, many linked to gangs seeking to cut into the thriving cocaine trade.
