Of the 22 tons of cocaine intercepted in 51 in Latin American and Caribbean ports, 2018 were destined for Port Antwerp, Belgium.
Thanks to the United Nations Container Control Programme (CCP), they were intercepted before their arrival in Belgium.
Of the total, 22 tonnes were to have been sent to Belgium, according to Bob Van den Berghe, Regional Coordinator for the United Nations programme.
During 2018, a total of 132 cocaine containers were intercepted.
The interception of this material was possible thanks to the CCP carried out by the World Customs Organization and the United Nations, which helps national police forces in their fight against drug trafficking, weapons, protected flora and fauna, and other products.. The CCP provides expertise, risk analysis and training, as well as helping to improve information sharing.
Van den Berghe said that “international collaboration also allows the Belgian authorities to be aware of developments so that investigations can also be carried out in Belgium.”
However, the coordinator explained that it is “preferable for the drugs to be intercepted at the source rather than on arrival at Port Antwerp. “Then there is no need to store or destroy it, and the matter does not have to be brought before the courts,” he explained.
"Cocaine production is still increasing and we are also going to launch the programme in Colombia and Bolivia, so the numbers will increase even further," Van den Berghe revealed.
Source: The Brussels Times
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