Significant decrease in intercepted drug shipments at the Port of Rotterdam in 2024

Just under 26,000 kilos of drugs were intercepted in the Port of Rotterdam last year. This is a significant decrease compared to 2023 when over 45,000 kilos were discovered. The figures were reported by the Hit And Run Cargo team (HARC), which is a partnership between customs, the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD), the seaport police, and the Public Prosecution Service (OM).

The number of people arrested also decreased significantly. Around 452 people were arrested in 2023, while the number of arrests totaled 266 last year. Most of the people arrested were between 18 and 22 years old. The youngest was 14 years old, and the oldest was 63 years of age. There were 59 underage people among the arrests.

The explanation for the decrease is sharpened security measures, said the chief prosecutor of Zeeland-West-Brabant, Mariëtte Bode. An example of this is the usage of drones by customs. Another factor is that fewer people are needed for smaller drug shipments.

Over 12,5 kilos of drugs were intercepted in the port of Vlissingen, which is an increase of 1,300 kilos compared to 2023. The HARC has not seen any evidence to suggest that there is a connection between the decrease in Rotterdam and the slight increase in the Zeeland-West Brabant region.

In total, 38,000 kilos of drugs were intercepted in the Netherlands in 2024. This too, is a significant decrease compared to 2023 when. Almost 60,000 kilos were discovered.

There was also a significant decrease in intercepted drugs in Antwerp last year. Customs think that a portion of the drug trade in the Benelux has moved to France and Spain. The number of drugs that were discovered in France last year doubled compared to 2023. A shipment of 13,000 kilos of cocaine was intercepted in Spain.

The total value of the intercepted drug shipments was 917 million euros. The drugs were hidden in 189 shipments in Rotterdam and 11 in Vlissingen. A total of 80 criminal investigations were started as a result of the cases in Rotterdam. Vlissingen saw 25 investigations started as a result of their findings.

HARC has said that it is “remarkable” that the size of the shipments has decreased. Around 115 shipments of less than 100 kilos were found in 2024, compared to 81 the year before. “Criminals may be doing more to spread the risk."

Despite this, some large packages were seized. A shipment of over 3,600 kilos was intercepted in Rotterdam and Vlissingen. The largest shipment seized in the port of Moerdijk was almost 3,100 kilos. The number of large shipments, of a thousand kilos or more, dropped from 13 in 2023 to eight in 2024.