2023-07-22 10:46:00
The wave of cocaine that the drug cartels send to Antwerp continues to grow. In the first six months of 2023, customs seized more than 43 tons in the port of Antwerp, according to figures obtained by the Gazet van Antwerpen. This is 21% more compared to the first half of 2022, when around 36 tonnes were intercepted.
Customs seize almost 800 kilos of cocaine in Antwerp
Customs boss Kristian Vanderwaeren sees two explanations for the continuous influx of tonnes of cocaine into Antwerp. “First, production in source countries in South America has increased. And secondly, we are also seeing an increase in consumption in Europe.”
Colombia, Peru and Bolivia are the main producers of coca leaves, the main raw material for cocaine. But due to the growing use of cocaine, more and more coca fields can also be found in countries like Ecuador, Venezuela, Honduras and Guatemala.
Over 1.6 tons of heroin discovered in the port of Antwerp
Laboratories have also been found in Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium where cocaine powder (cocaine hydrochloride) is extracted from cocaine paste. In South America, it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain the chemicals needed to produce cocaine powder. In Europe, criminals would have easier access to raw materials.
The cocaine intercepted in Antwerp is mainly shipped via Ecuador. During the first six months of this year, no less than thirteen drug shipments from that country were intercepted, amounting to more than 10 tons. Panama is in second place. Next come Brazil, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.
Belgium and the Netherlands intercepted 160 tons of cocaine in Antwerp and Rotterdam in 2022
The Belgian customs services will deploy additional means to stop as much cocaine as possible in the ports. Kristian Vanderwaeren, the general administrator for customs and excise, has been working for some time on the “100% scanning” project, which aims to screen all high-risk containers arriving at the port.
Finance Minister Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V), Minister for Customs, detailed it: “Customs will use five additional mobile scanners. Customs is also recruiting 108 new employees. The chief executive also has high expectations for the development and deployment of artificial intelligence models to detect suspicious shipments more quickly.”
Antwerp, more than ever a hub for cocaine trafficking in Europe
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