Arrests and investigations over drug transports from South America

On 23 May, a total of 17 people were arrested in a large Belgian investigation into planned drug transports from South America to the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. Thirteen of the arrests occurred in the Netherlands, and four in Belgium. Ages varied from 30 to 61. In the Netherlands, police searched 21 houses and one commercial premises. At the same time in Belgium, nine houses were searched. The arrested people are suspected of importing and/or exporting, and the possession of and trade in narcotics. However, they are also suspected of participating in a criminal organisation. They are of Serbian-Montenegrin, Bosnian, Albanian and Dutch origin.

The investigation was started in December 2014, under leadership of the examining magistrate in Antwerp. There’s close cooperation with the Dutch Public Prosecutor through legal aid requests. The Belgian federal judicial police units of East Flanders and Antwerp have also started a cooperation with the Dutch National Police Unit.

The judicial inquiry provided serious clues to several actively operating criminal organisations. The organisations have multiple members and operate both in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The investigation focuses on several criminal organisations that would have been involved in continuous and large-scale organisation of international cocaine smuggling from South America (Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador). The planned drug transports were intended for Belgium and the Netherlands. The import of narcotics was done via the North Sea, and in containers via the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. The narcotics were hidden under deck cargoes, such as boxes of bananas.

11 suspects will will be requested to be surrendered by the Belgian authorities. Four suspects will be brought before the examining magistrate of Antwerp, who will decide on their further detention.

As a result of simultaneous house searches, the following items were seized: 200,000 euro cash in various currencies, three kilograms of cocaine, 26 kilograms of MDMA, an active cannabis plantation, one kilogram of cannabis, a firearm, various jammers and a number of Blackberry PGPs.

Source: OM