Antwerp, the second European port, is the main entry point for cocaine in Europe. 110 tonnes were seized there last year. On the other side, Rotterdam, the largest port on the continent, also suffers from this serious problem. To fight these drug traffickers, Belgium, the Netherlands and the five largest shipping companies that pass through the two ports have signed an agreement, which must fight drug trafficking on the spot.
Indeed, drug-related crime continues to grow, prompting greater action. “We must act. The stake is the integrity of our country. We must hit the criminals where it hurts: their property, their money and their investments”, even believes Ine Van Wymersch, National Drugs Commissioner. This agreement provides for the deployment of a new system.
Concretely, smart containers will be placed in the ports, which should make it more difficult to transport drugs to the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. “They detect the opening of a door, a change in temperature, they give indications of the drugs that are inside”confirms Vincent Van Quickenborne, the Minister of Justice.
But everyone is aware that today the mafia structure around drugs makes their complete dismantling almost impossible. “We will never win the war against them, but we must reduce drug crime to an acceptable level”, judge even Bart De Wever, the Mayor of Antwerp. Everyone agrees that this trafficking must be tackled to reduce the power of drug traffickers and therefore protect the population.