Antwerp drugs: Seizures recorded at the port of Europe’s “cocaine capital”

Belgian authorities announced last year that they had seized a record amount of cocaine at the port of Antwerp.

The port city is Europe’s main gateway for drugs shipped from South America.

Belgian Finance Minister Vincent van Petegem said 116 tonnes of cocaine was seized in Antwerp, an increase of 5% compared to 2022.

It is believed that only a small fraction, perhaps one in ten, of drugs is actually detected upon arrival at port.

Customs officials have previously told the BBC that the war against powerful cartels can never be won.

The rise in illegal trade has led to increased violence in Belgium between gangs vying for control of the lucrative cocaine market.

“These are quantities that pose a huge risk to the security of our ports and cities, to the safety of the hundreds of customs and port workers on the ground, and to the safety of their families,” Van Petegem told reporters.

Driving around Antwerp’s vast port, it’s easy to see why cocaine gangs have gone to great lengths to turn the port into a cash cow for imports, and to understand the huge challenges facing the authorities. can.

There are now 160 km (100 miles) of wharfs, where millions of tons of goods are unloaded from ships and sent to every corner of the continent.

This is a conveyor belt that transports often highly perishable goods at high speed, creating a prime opportunity for cocaine kingpins. Hiding drugs in boxes of fresh fruit, especially banana containers, remains a favorite tactic.

Last year, during a BBC investigation into how Antwerp became Europe’s biggest point of entry for drugs, customs officials said gangsters fully expected some of their deliveries to be discovered and It was revealed that they had factored this into their strategy.

Still, the profits are huge.

According to Belgian authorities, 2022 will be the first time they have intercepted more than 100 tons of drugs at the port in one year.

Belgium’s neighbor to the north, the Netherlands, has also seen a significant increase in cocaine seizures, reaching 59.1 tonnes in 2023, strengthening its position as a distribution hub to much of Europe, including the UK.

The largest source of cocaine seized in the Netherlands was Ecuador, with approximately 27 tonnes.

Panama and Colombia are also major sources, mainly to Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain.

Law enforcement agencies across Europe say they are working together to tackle criminal organizations. They cite recent successes, such as when they cracked an encryption platform called EncroChat used to power human trafficking networks.

Twenty-two people, including three police officers, were arrested in an anti-drug operation in Belgium on Tuesday night.

Federal police said cash, luxury cars and weapons were seized in dozens of raids in the capital Brussels and Antwerp.

Antwerp has seen an explosion in violence in recent years, with gang violence occurring on the city’s streets.

Many of the attacks targeted the wrong addresses, and in January 2023 an 11-year-old girl was shot dead in an underworld attack.

In recent months, drug-related violence has spread from south of the port to Brussels.

Rival gangs often shoot into rivals’ homes, not necessarily to kill, but in the hope that the hail of bullets will alert authorities to a drug deal taking place on the premises.

European officials say the violence and chaos brought about by organized crime is on a par with terrorism.

Belgium’s former justice minister, Vincent Van Quickenborn, has been forced to use a safe house after police uncovered an alleged plot to kidnap him by Dutch criminals.

Dutch acting Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been placed under even tighter security amid fears that cocaine gangs may try to target him.

Belgium is currently undergoing a so-called mass trial involving more than 120 defendants charged with various drug crimes.