Dutch Customs seize over 1,400 kilograms of cocaine in Rotterdam Port

The Dutch Customs Service discovered more than 1,400 kilograms of cocaine during a large-scale inspection on Saturday in the Port of Rotterdam, seizing drugs in multiple containers that arrived on a vessel from Curaçao.

According to the Public Prosecution Service, the drugs were found at the Maasvlakte terminal after customs officers selected and inspected a significant number of containers from the ship. Irregularities were detected in three separate containers, leading to the discovery of large quantities of cocaine in different concealment methods.

In two empty containers, officers found bags containing a total of 32 kilograms of cocaine. In a second container, investigators uncovered six suitcases filled with drugs, containing 177 kilograms of cocaine.

A third container, listed as a household goods shipment moving from Curaçao to the Netherlands, contained the largest haul. Behind the legitimate cargo, officers found 35 bags holding a total of 1,199 packages of cocaine.

Authorities said the intended recipients of the containers appear to have no involvement in the smuggling operation. The investigation is being handled by the HARC team, a 29-year collaboration between Customs, the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD), the Seaport Police, and the Public Prosecution Service in Rotterdam.