Dutch suspects arrested as Belgian Customs finds cocaine worth hundreds of millions

Four Dutch men were arrested in Belgium after the discovery of a large amount of cocaine at the Zeebrugge port, just 15 kilometers south of the border with the Netherlands. The 5,000 kilograms of drugs were hidden in a consignment of fruit shipped in a sea container. Authorities said the street value of the cocaine was at least 250 million euros.

The oldest of the four suspects was born in 1998, said the Belgian Public Prosecution Service. Two were born in 2002, and another was born in 2003. A fifth person initially suspected in the crime was released by police.

Customs found the cocaine on Tuesday evening. It is not yet clear if the four remaining suspects were directly involved as extractors meant to sneak the illicit cargo out of the port, or if they were involved in some other way.

The Dutch and Belgian seaports are essential gateways to Europe used for drug trafficking routes. This especially includes cocaine smuggling from Central and South American countries in particular.