Antwerp and Rotterdam are new epicentre of European cocaine trade

Dutch customs officers impounded some 48,000 kilos of cocaine in the ports and at Schiphol airport last year, a rise of 24% compared to 2019
Dutch News (Netherlands)
Thursday, September 9, 2021

antwerp harbourThe increased use of shipping containers to conceal drugs has made the high volume ports of Antwerp, Rotterdam and Hamburg the new epicentre of the European cocaine market, according to a new report on the industry by European police organisation Europol. This means Europe’s North Sea coast has now overtaken the Iberian peninsula as the primary point of entry for cocaine reaching Europe, Europol says. While Antwerp is the biggest arrival port for cocaine, most of the drug is ‘is likely intended for organisations operating out of the Netherlands. (See also: Belgium and Netherlands centre of cocaine traffic in Europe | Nine arrested in drugs container)