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Customs in Antwerp seizes significant quantities of cocaine

Customs in the port of Antwerp recently intercepted a total of 236.7 kg of cocaine, despite malfunctioning scanners.

23 September 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Customs in Antwerp seizes significant quantities of cocaine — Archive photoPhoto: Ji-Elle · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Customs in the port of Antwerp recently seized significant quantities of cocaine. On Monday, 119.64 kg of cocaine was discovered at Dock 730. This was reported by the Federal Public Service Finance. The shipment was found during routine checks in the harbor.

On Tuesday, a second seizure of 117.06 kg of cocaine followed, also at Dock 730. The drugs were hidden in sports bags within a container coming from Chile. This container was loaded with chemical products, according to available information.

Customs has announced that despite the issues with malfunctioning scanners, it will continue its inspections. Four of the nine scanners are currently out of order, as reported by the ACOD union. The Federal Public Service Finance confirms the defects but emphasizes that customs is not solely reliant on the scanners.

The motivation of customs not to rely solely on technology is relevant, given the recent seizures. This demonstrates that manual inspections and other methods have also been effective in identifying illegal goods.

The prosecution of drug trafficking remains a priority for the authorities in the port. The recent seizures are significant successes in the fight against drug trafficking, even in light of technological failures.

The police and other involved agencies are monitoring the situation in the port while customs continues its operations. Additional measures are expected to be implemented in the coming days to ensure the effectiveness of inspections.

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