Drug smugglers shift routes and tactics as Antwerp deploys new scanners
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 3
Drug smugglers shift routes and tactics as Antwerp deploys new scanners
12 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 3
At Belgium's Antwerp port, customs bought nine mobile scanners, six stationed there, after 55 tonnes of cocaine were seized in 2025, down from 121 tonnes in 2023.
Officials say traffickers increasingly route South American cocaine via west Africa, use sea drops with GPS-tracked bundles, and split loads into smaller shipments to evade tighter port controls.
Antwerp seized 483 tonnes between 2019 and mid-2024, the most among 17 EU-reported ports, but tougher checks there and in Rotterdam appear to be pushing more trafficking towards Spain and France.
With 'dirty money' fueling a narco-state, is Belgium's focus on port seizures ignoring the real corruption crisis within?
As cartels deploy autonomous narco-submarines, can Europe's port-focused security strategy keep pace with this technological leap?
Disrupting Europe’s Cocaine Hub: Antwerp’s Record Seizures, Security Upgrades, and Trafficker Adaptations (2023-2025)
Overview
Following record cocaine seizures at Antwerp's port in 2023, authorities launched a major security overhaul with advanced scanning and employee checks. This led to a sharp drop in seizures in 2024, but traffickers adapted by shifting routes through West Africa and developing new concealment methods, such as wrapping cocaine in cowhide. These tactics increased pressure on European ports and caused a partial rebound in seizures at Antwerp in 2025. Meanwhile, US cocaine seizures rose due to route shifts. Law enforcement faces challenges from traffickers' complex communications and resource limits, while regional instability worsens amid corruption and militarization, highlighting the need for coordinated international efforts and cyber resilience initiatives.