Belgium: huge transit port for drugs

A US government report says that a quarter of all drugs intended for Europe are imported through Belgium, making the country one of the biggest drug transit ports on the continent. The report says that every year 60 tons of cocaine and 30 tons of heroin arrive in the country.

Belgium is an ideal entry point for drugs because of its extensive network of highways and the presence of the port of Antwerp, which also lies close to the Dutch port of Rotterdam.

The report says that some of Antwerp’s dockworkers are actively involved in the smuggling, mainly of drugs from South America. It also notes that Brussels’ Zaventem airport is popular with couriers bringing in drugs from Africa.

Source: Radio Netherlands, 3 March 2008