the port of Antwerp, the first entry point for cocaine in Europe

The surface area of ​​the port of Antwerp (Belgium) exceeds that of the city of Paris. It became the first gateway to Europe for cocaine. A month ago, in a truck carrying soy flour, ten tons of drugs were found by customs. This is a record catch, which traffickers wanted to recover in the middle of the night. On images of the Gazet Van Antweprenthe special police unit arrests the traffickers just in time. Seven criminals are arrested. They were heavily armed.

Only 10% of containers controlled by customs

Two weeks later, a milestone was reached. Other criminals entered the customs compound, armed with machetes, and tied up the agents on the spot. Bart Torrekenscustoms officer and union president NUOD, evokes the fear that his colleagues experience on a daily basis. Traffickers dare anything to recover their merchandise car cocaine seizures exploded. From 4.5 tonnes of cocaine seized in 2013, we increased to 110 in 2022, an increase of 2 400% in less than ten years. Customs only controls 10% containers. We can therefore imagine the extent of the traffic. With its thousands of access points, it is easy to enter the port. Since the summer of 2023, police have recorded nine drug-related murders in Brussels and Antwerp.

Among our sources

The various seizures by Belgian customs are listed in the press releases of the Federal Customs Service.

Some videos were given to us by Gazet Van Antwerpen.

Various Belgian press articles: The Free (6/11), RTBF (6/11), RTBF (6/11), VRT (6/11), RTL (9/11).

Most recent study (7/11) on violence linked to drug trafficking in Belgium and the Netherlands for an overview.

Non-exhaustive list