Antwerp’s maritime police still face staffing shortage in fight against drug trafficking

Belgium’s maritime police are still 100 officers short of their recruitment target as authorities step up efforts to combat drug trafficking through the Port of Antwerp. Despite recent reinforcements, smugglers continue to adapt, using new routes and concealment methods to evade detection.

The Belgian government is still seeking to recruit and train 100 additional maritime police officers to meet its target of 312 personnel, as part of efforts to combat drug trafficking through the Port of Antwerp. During a visit to the port on Tuesday, interior minister Bernard Quintin (liberal MR) reaffirmed the commitment to reaching that goal but did not specify a timeline.

“Antwerp is the gateway”, Quintin said, referring to the port’s key role in international drug trafficking and linking it to recent drug-related violence in Brussels. “It’s clear that our global approach has to start here.”

Calls to strengthen the maritime police date back to early 2023, when authorities set the objective of expanding the force. At the time, only around 100 officers were in service. Today, that number stands at 212, but further reinforcements are still required. Separately, the port security corps, which operates alongside the maritime police, currently employs around 70 people.

”Antwerp is the gateway, it’s clear that our global approach has to start here.”

Drugs

In 2024, Antwerp’s maritime police made 128 drug-related arrests, including 98 individuals caught trespassing in port facilities and 13 found inside containers used for smuggling. Sixteen of those arrested were minors. The majority of suspects were Belgian (51) or Dutch (48), with others coming from Albania, Croatia, France, and Bulgaria.

Despite increased security, drug smugglers continue to adapt. Antwerp police report a shift in trafficking routes, with less cocaine arriving from Colombia and more coming via the Dominican Republic, Peru, and West Africa. Smaller quantities are now being smuggled through secondary ports and even via air transport. 

Additionally, traffickers are increasingly concealing drugs within other materials, which are chemically extracted upon arrival. Criminal organisations are also using cryptocurrencies to launder money, which makes financial tracking more difficult.

^{#FlandersNewsService | The Port Security Corps (pictured) works alongside the maritime police in Antwerp in a bid to tackle drug trafficking © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM}