Belgian customs seized record amount of cocaine as EU faces rise in drug-related violence

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian authorities say customs seized 116 tons of cocaine in the port of Antwerp in 2023, setting a record for the second year in a row. Demand for cocaine is growing rapidly across the EU, and governments blame the drug trade for outbreaks of violence in major port cities like Antwerp, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and Marseille in France. The port of Antwerp has become the main gateway for Latin American cocaine cartels into the continent. The Belgian finance minister said another five tons of cocaine were seized last year at the port of Zeebrugge, which is part of the larger Port of Antwerp-Bruges.