It is no coincidence that the minister signs such an agreement with Ecuador. As is well known, the port of Antwerp is a hub in international cocaine smuggling. Last year, 110 tons of the substance was seized, of which 56.4 tons came from Ecuador – so more than half. And vice versa, that same year about the same amount of cocaine was intercepted in the ports of Ecuador, especially those of Guayaquil, which had Antwerp as its destination.
The fight against drug crime therefore requires close cooperation between the two countries, says Verlinden. Hence the protocol signed on Monday, in the presence of European Commissioner Ylva Johansson. Belgium and Ecuador promise to strengthen their cooperation at the police level by organizing training, sharing good practices, exchanging information and coordinating police investigations. The new federal police liaison officer will take over the implementation of the protocol for Belgium.
“By signing the cooperation protocol, my Ecuadorian colleague is sending a clear signal that he wants to intensify our joint fight against organized crime”; responds Minister Verlinden. “This is essential to keep the drugs out of our ports and the drug violence off our streets.”