News item | 10-01-2023 | 12:09
In 2023, Dutch and Belgian customs will cooperate even more intensively in the fight against criminal drug smuggling in the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. State Secretary Aukje de Vries (Executions and Customs) said this today in Antwerp during a joint presentation of the drug seizures in the past year in both ports. Together with the Belgian Minister of Finance, Vincent van Peteghem, De Vries emphasized that a joint approach is necessary because criminals see the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp as one large working area.
The figures for 2022 show that the total number of kilos of seized drugs, mainly cocaine from South America, in the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam together increased again compared to the previous year. In Antwerp there were 150 catches and the number of kilos increased from 90,000 to 110,000, the largest amount ever intercepted. In Rotterdam (including Vlissingen), the number of drug seizures at over 160 remained virtually the same as in the previous year and the number of kilos fell to over 50,000 kilos of cocaine. The total street value of the seized cocaine in the Netherlands is approximately 3.5 billion euros. Also striking is the increase in the number of interceptions abroad of drugs destined for the Netherlands.
“The figures once again show how enormous the problem of drug smuggling still is, both in Belgium and in the Netherlands”, says State Secretary De Vries. “The consequences of this criminal drug trade extend far beyond ports. Cities and countryside suffer from criminal networks that start drug labs and cannabis farms. Criminals recruit young people – often just children – to do the dangerous work for them and innocent entrepreneurs become victims of extortion. Criminals are becoming increasingly ruthless and the consequences are being felt in both countries, including shootings and murders in the middle of the street. It is very important that our countries stand shoulder to shoulder in tackling subversion. That is why, in 2023, Dutch and Belgian customs will cooperate even more intensively in the fight against drug smuggling.”
More cooperation between the two countries is necessary because drug criminals regard the ports of the Netherlands and Belgium as one port area. The Dutch and Belgian customs will share even more information in the coming years in order to gain a faster picture of which high-risk cargoes are arriving at the Dutch and Belgian ports. For example, a Dutch risk analyst will soon be going to Antwerp every week to work with Belgian analysts. This makes it possible to jointly check for suspicious shipments in a more targeted manner.
The Dutch and Belgian customs authorities are also working together towards the source countries in South America. In the past year, agreements have already been made about exchanging scan images so that they can be viewed and interpreted by analysts in the Netherlands and Belgium. In addition to sharing information, there is also more cooperation during inspections. For example, the diving team of the Dutch customs is also deployed in the Belgian ports at the request of the Belgian customs.
Keeping criminals out of the ports also requires cooperation with shipping companies and companies that trade through the ports. Belgium and the Netherlands are working with shipping companies on measures to combat organized crime. This includes making port staff more resilient and ways to detect and report suspicious behavior more quickly.