Sharp increase in cocaine interceptions; Shipments getting smaller

Customs officers intercepted 29,702 kilograms of cocaine in the Netherlands in the first half of this year, a third more than in the same period last year. The service noted that it is increasingly finding small shipments containing a few dozen kilograms of the drug. Criminals may be trying to spread their risks, the government said on Wednesday.

The authorities noted that the port of Vlissingen is increasingly becoming a hotspot for cocaine trafficking. Customs officers found 4,500 kilograms of the drug at the Zeeland port in the first six months of this year, already more than in all of 2022. They’ve also arrested 31 “retrievers” - predominantly young men and boys tasked with sneaking drugs out of containers - compared to around 20 in 2022.

“That is quite a large number for such a small port,” Chris Mels of Customs told NOS. “We see that Vlissingen is becoming more popular compared to Rotterdam and Antwerp. Criminals try to land their drugs via other ports, including Vlissingen.” Every week, four ships with cargo from South America unload in Vlissingen. Customs officers find drugs hidden in the containers or on the ship. Sometimes, they’re dumped into the water offshore.

State Secretary Aukje de Vries of Finance stressed the importance of combatting drug trafficking and undermining crime. “Criminals who smuggle cocaine into our country are ruthless. They recruit minors, put entrepreneurs under pressure, and make our countryside unsafe with their drug labs. That is why we must tackle drug smuggling very hard,” she said.

In addition to Customs, the police are also putting more effort into combating drug trafficking. This month, Vlissingen, Borsele, Terneuzen, and Moerdijk got their own seaport police, following the port of Rottedam’s example. The team consists of 25 police officers, detectives, and analysts, with the goal to eventually double that number. The police hope the specialist team can help prevent drug trafficking from shifting from the big ports in Rotterdam and Antwerp to the smaller ports.

Authorities in South America also intercept cocaine before it’s shipped to the Netherlands, though the figures so far have been less than last year. In the first half of 2023, the South American authorities intercepted over 16,000 kilograms of cocaine destined for the Netherlands. In the whole of 2022, that was 104,000 kilograms.

“We have firmly committed to cooperation with other countries,” State Secretary De Vries said. “Customs exchanges information more often with countries from which a lot of cocaine is smuggled. It seems that this approach is bearing fruit.”