Record year for cocaine seizures in Belgium

Belgian customs this year intercepted nearly 22 tonnes of cocaine, beating the previous record of 18 tonnes in 2012, says Francis Adyns of the FPS Finance. According to Adyns, better risk assessment and international cooperation are at the basis of the record drug busts, writes Bruzz.

Between 1 January and 22 August, 2016, 21.6 tonnes of cocaine were seized in Belgium, an increase of as much as 36% over 2015. "And 2016 is not over yet," Adyns adds.

The largest drug seizures took place in June, July and August in the Port of Antwerp, with nearly 3,650kg seized in that period. Each time the drugs were found in sports bags that were hidden within a certified shipping container.

"Drug trafficking organisations are using increasingly sophisticated tricks, such as mixing the cocaine with legal goods like fish powder, or hiding it inside slabs of marble or wooden beams," says customs and excise administrator Kristian Vanderwaeren.