Belgian and Dutch authorities have agreed to step up the fight against drug trafficking in a coordinated manner in the face of increased smuggling in the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp.
The move was announced Sunday by the Dutch State Secretary for Customs, Aukje de Vries, in which she said that the customs authorities of both countries aim to exchange information and cooperate more closely in the ports of Antwerp and Rottderam, one of the main entry points for cocaine in Europe.
The authorities announced the decision during the joint presentation of drug seizures made last year in both ports.
According to the latest figures, the total number of kilograms of drugs seized, mainly cocaine from South America, in the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam has increased again compared to the previous year.
Antwerp made a total of 150 seizures and the number of kilograms increased from 90,000 to 110,000, the largest amount intercepted to date. On the other hand, in Rotterdam, the number of drug seizures, more than 160, has remained virtually unchanged from the previous year while the number of kilograms has decreased to more than 50,000 kilos of cocaine.
According to the communiqué, the authorities of both countries have already coordinated with their counterparts in Latin America to curb drug trafficking.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
