Another record-breaking year for cocaine seizures at Antwerp docks
2021 was another record-breaking year for seizures of cocaine by customs officers working at the Port of Antwerp. During last year a total of 89.5 tonnes of the drug was seized at the port. The figures were announced on Friday morning at a press conference held by the Federal Finance Deportment that is responsible for the Customs and Excise Service in Belgium.
The amount of cocaine seized during 2021 is 33% up on the amount seized during 2020 and is twice what it was five years ago. The Belgian Customs say that the 89.5 tonnes of cocaine seized at Antwerp docks during 2021 has a street value of 12.76 billion euro. Most of the cocaine came from either Ecuador, Panama or Paraguay.
In addition to cocaine, customs also seized 1.3 tonnes of heroin and 11.7 tonnes of hashish.
The Federal Finance Minister Vincent Van Peterghem (Flemish Christian democrat) told Friday morning’s press conference that the increase in the quantity of drugs seized is in part a result of an increase in international drug trafficking. However, it has also come about thanks to investment to improve the performance of the Customs Service. The information gathered during the Operation Sky investigation also helped track down shipments of illicit drugs.