Zeeland port firm tied to major cocaine trafficking cases ordered to close for a year

Authorities in Vlissingen have ordered the closure of trans-shipment company Bulk Terminal Zeeland (BTZ) amid allegations the company has been linked to drug trafficking for years. Vlissingen Mayor Bas van den Tillaar ordered the company to be closed for 12 months starting on July 24.

He said BTZ “has probably been part of organised international drug trafficking for a very long time.” The mayor stated it is plausible that “large quantities of 100 to more than 1,500 kilograms of cocaine have been present on the BTZ site for several year.”

The company located at the Vlissingen-Oost location of the North Sea Port is also said to have been used as a front company “with direct involvement from the directors, and ties to criminal organisations.” The mayor made the decision to close the buildings and the site of the storage and trans-shipment company in the port area based on a report from the police.

A criminal investigation is underway into the company and its directors. Three of the company’s directors were arrested in May in a joint operation by the police and financial crimes inspectorate FIOD, which was under the supervision of the Public Prosecution Service (OM). The three men, aged 59, 56 and 43, are still in custody, the OM reported.

They are suspected of importing cocaine from South America, participating in a criminal organisation and forgery. The first pro forma hearing regarding their case is scheduled for August 8. The company is also under investigation for environmental crimes.

The mayor wants to use the measure to send a message that “abuse of our port will not be accepted.” In the coming period, he will consult with the North Sea Port on ways to prevent recurrence.

Van den Tillaar empathized with employees who will be affected by the closure. “The seriousness of the illegal practices at BTZ, where the underworld and the upper world seem so intertwined, weighed more heavily in my opinion.”