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Massive Cocaine Seizure in European Drug Hub
In a significant operation targeting international drug trafficking, Belgian authorities have arrested ten individuals including seven Dutch nationals and three Belgians during a major drug bust in the Port of Antwerp. The operation, conducted in the early hours of Sunday morning, resulted in the seizure of approximately 1,200 kilograms of high-purity cocaine with an estimated street value exceeding €50 million.
Sophisticated Smuggling Operation Uncovered
The drugs were discovered aboard a cargo ship that had arrived from an unspecified African nation, a route increasingly used by traffickers to avoid detection. Law enforcement agencies, including the Antwerp police, maritime police, and the Special Units Directorate (DSU) - an elite federal police intervention unit - monitored the shipment from its arrival through to its transfer to a warehouse in the Zelzate region near the Dutch border.
Youngest Suspect Highlights Disturbing Trend
Among those arrested was a 14-year-old Belgian minor, underscoring the concerning trend of criminal organizations exploiting vulnerable youth in drug operations. The Port of Antwerp has become a hotspot for so-called "extraction teams" - often comprising minors recruited by organized crime syndicates to retrieve drugs from shipping containers.
Ongoing Battle Against Port Drug Trafficking
According to recent statistics, during the first five months of 2025 alone, authorities have apprehended 140 extraction team members in Antwerp's port area. Alarmingly, half of those arrested were Dutch nationals, including twenty minors. This pattern mirrors tactics used in other criminal activities where young people are employed as cheap, disposable labor with severe legal consequences if caught.
Adult offenders face particularly harsh penalties in Belgium, with average prison sentences of 40 months for drug extraction offenses. The strategic location of Antwerp, Europe's second-largest port, makes it a prime target for international drug cartels seeking to distribute narcotics throughout the continent.
International Cooperation and Enforcement
The successful operation demonstrates enhanced cooperation between Belgian and Dutch law enforcement agencies in combating cross-border drug trafficking. Both nations have intensified their efforts to dismantle criminal networks that exploit European port infrastructure for narcotics distribution.
