Belgium and the Netherlands report a significant increase in cocaine discoveries

Latin American drug cartels primarily use Belgian and Dutch ports to smuggle cocaine into Europe. And apparently more and more: both countries are reporting an increase in finds. Gun violence is also increasing.

In the Belgian port city of Antwerp, the number of cocaine discoveries reached a new high in 2023. Around 116 tons of cocaine were confiscated there last year, said Belgian Finance Minister Vincent van Peteghem at a press conference with Dutch authorities in the Netherlands. This means that the record of 109.9 tons in 2022 was exceeded by five percent.

Antwerp is the most important import port in Europe for cocaine from Latin American drug cartels. In addition to Belgium, the coastal states of the Netherlands and Spain are also among the most important cocaine importing countries in Europe. The drugs come particularly from Panama, Colombia and Ecuador.

Almost 60 tons of cocaine in the Netherlands

Last year, 59.1 tons of cocaine were confiscated in the Netherlands, authorities said at the press conference. This is also a significant increase compared to the previous year. In particular, the huge Dutch port of Rotterdam is used for drug smuggling.

The cocaine is usually smuggled in containers, for example hidden in fruit crates. Sometimes the drugs are also found in cavities in ships that are below the waterline. The drug shipments are then picked up by divers. Drug detection dogs and police divers are on duty at the container ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. However, the authorities fear that they will only discover a fraction of the illegal drugs.

More gun violence in both countries

“The drug traffickers stop at nothing and use all available means,” said Dutch Customs State Secretary Aukje de Vries. “That’s why we have to do everything we can to intercept drugs.” The EU authorities assess the threat from organized crime to be as high as that from terrorism.

In Antwerp and Rotterdam there are repeated exchanges of fire and explosions as powerful, international drug gangs fight for dominance. Overall, drug trafficking is leading to an increase in gun violence in both countries. Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte have already received threats from criminal gangs.