In the first half of the year, 19 drug labs were discovered in Belgium, according to figures by Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR). Last year, a total of 33 drug labs were busted.
The security services have noticed that five drug labs for synthetic cathinones (also called "bath salts") have already been discovered this year, De Morgen and Het Laatste Nieuws report on Monday.
These drugs are chemically similar to amphetamines and are sold as a substitute for well-known stimulants such as MDMA or cocaine. Among them are the designer drugs mephedrone (4-MMC) and flakka.
"Belgium and the Netherlands themselves are still among the largest export countries of synthetic drugs," Quintin said.
The number of drug dumpings in Belgium appears to be declining: 11 drug dumps have been discovered so far this year, compared to some 30-40 per year between 2018 and 2022. "Waste from synthetic drug production is increasingly being found in the drug labs themselves," said Quintin.
