In the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge, significantly less cocaine was seized in the first half of the year compared to last year. However, customs authorities confiscated more cannabis.
Criminal organisations are also increasingly employing various methods to smuggle drugs into the harbour, according to figures presented by Belgian customs on Tuesday in Zeebrugge.
In the first six months of this year, customs carried out 28 drug seizures, compared to 82 in the same period last year. This represents a decrease of approximately 66%. In total, 5.4 tonnes of cocaine were confiscated, compared to 16.7 tonnes in the first half of 2025.
The analysis also shows that criminal organisations are continuously adjusting their routes. Particularly, the role of Latin America and the Caribbean is becoming increasingly significant in the smuggling of cocaine into Europe.
Conversely, the number of cannabis seizures has increased in the first half of the year. A total of 2.3 tonnes of marijuana and 8.5 tonnes of hashish were confiscated. The marijuana mainly originates from Canada and Thailand, while the hashish primarily comes from Morocco.
For this reason, Belgium and Canada have signed an agreement to jointly address the issue of marijuana. Both countries will facilitate the exchange of information and organise joint operations to combat international drug trafficking.
