5,160 kilograms Netherlands-bound cocaine intercepted in Antwerp

Customs authorities at the port of Antwerp intercepted 5,170 kilograms of cocaine on June 12. Investigation showed that the container was on its way to the Netherlands, the Dutch police said on Wednesday.

The drugs were in a container with rice from Paraguay. The Belgian authorities warned their Dutch counterparts, and the police launched an investigation into the recipient of the container.

The drug bust formed part of a newly established task force called Fortius, in which the Dutch and Belgian authorities work together to fight drug trafficking between the port of Antwerp and the Netherlands. According to the police, 80 percent of narcotics entering Antwerp is destined for the Netherlands.

The Fortius task force arrested a dozen suspects and seized large quantities of drugs in the space of two months, the police said.