Rotterdam port cocaine seizures hit five billion euros

Drug seizures have hit a record high in the Port of Rotterdam as they have in Spain, with cocaine seizures hitting 5 billion euros.
According to the public prosecution department in Rotterdam, more than 70 tonnes of the class A drug have been seized over the last year. A further two tonnes was found at other ports and Schiphol airport.
Total seizures are up 75% on the previous year with 198 people arrested who were waiting for or who were involved in removing the drugs from the containers. Some of those arrested have been multiple times including one who was arrested nine times.
Europol announced in September that the increased use of shipping containers to conceal drugs had become the epicentre of the drugs trade with Antwerp, Rotterdam and Hamburg specifically mentioned.
Antwerp is said to be the biggest arrival port for cocaine, most of the drug likely intended for organisations operating out of the Netherlands, from where the cocaine is further distributed to other European destinations according to Europol.
The seizures of cocaine at the port of Rotterdam will no doubt please many police forces across Europe with cocaine usage having grown significantly in recent times.

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