"Antwerp: A major drug trafficking hub More drugs flowed through Antwerp than any other place in Europe, according to the 2025 annual report by the European Union Drugs Agency. In 2023, a record 116 tons of cocaine were seized in the port city. However, the amount of cocaine seized in 2024 fell by 50%, as authorities increased inspections."
"De Wever said European nations should cooperate more and encouraged the US "to crush the business model of organized crime. We must do this because criminals know no borders at all." According to the European Union Drugs Agency, cocaine seizures in Europe in 2023 hit a record for the seventh consecutive year, with 419 metric tons seized by authorities. Belgium led with 123 metric tons, followed by Spain with 118 metric tons and the Netherlands with 59 metric tons. These three countries, all with major ports, accounted for 72 percent of the total drugs intercepted."
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever appealed for United States support to fight transnational drug smuggling during a visit to the port of Antwerp with US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. De Wever praised US efforts against drug trafficking in the Caribbean and urged stepped-up cooperation and information-sharing between Europe and the United States. Noem confirmed continued US partnership with Belgian authorities to counter transnational criminal organisations that poison and kill citizens. Antwerp ranked as Europe’s largest drug trafficking hub, with 116 tonnes of cocaine seized in 2023 and a 50% drop in seizures in 2024 after increased inspections. The EU Drugs Agency reported 419 tonnes seized in 2023, with Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands accounting for 72% of interceptions.
Read at www.dw.com
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