This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/news/517618-antwerp-police-raids-cocaine/
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| 1,500 Belgian police swoop in 200 dawn raids in a major operation against cocaine-smuggling gangs | 1,500 Belgian police swoop in 200 dawn raids in a major operation against cocaine-smuggling gangs |
| (6 months later) | |
| Belgian police conducted some 200 raids simultaneously on Tuesday morning in a coordinated strike against cocaine- and drug-smuggling gangs focused on the port of Antwerp. | Belgian police conducted some 200 raids simultaneously on Tuesday morning in a coordinated strike against cocaine- and drug-smuggling gangs focused on the port of Antwerp. |
| The raids, which began around 5am and involved some 1,500 officers, were a joint operation organized by the Belgian prosecutor’s office and prosecutors in Antwerp. The city is home to Europe’s second-busiest port and is often the scene of police and customs operations. It is regularly used as an entry point for criminal gangs importing narcotics into Europe. | The raids, which began around 5am and involved some 1,500 officers, were a joint operation organized by the Belgian prosecutor’s office and prosecutors in Antwerp. The city is home to Europe’s second-busiest port and is often the scene of police and customs operations. It is regularly used as an entry point for criminal gangs importing narcotics into Europe. |
| Officials say Tuesday’s raids had been planned for more than two years and mainly targeted cocaine smugglers and the organized criminal gangs that support them. A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office said that, although the drug gangs had international links, only Belgian authorities were involved in the operation. | Officials say Tuesday’s raids had been planned for more than two years and mainly targeted cocaine smugglers and the organized criminal gangs that support them. A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office said that, although the drug gangs had international links, only Belgian authorities were involved in the operation. |
| As well as Antwerp, police also swooped in properties in Brussels, Limburg and Wallonia, seizing weapons and hundreds of thousands in euro. | As well as Antwerp, police also swooped in properties in Brussels, Limburg and Wallonia, seizing weapons and hundreds of thousands in euro. |
| Belgian broadcaster RTBF reported that police were acting on information gleaned from encrypted phones preferred by criminal gangs to communicate securely. | Belgian broadcaster RTBF reported that police were acting on information gleaned from encrypted phones preferred by criminal gangs to communicate securely. |
| In 2020, Belgian authorities discovered 65.5 tons of cocaine being shipped through Antwerp port, with volumes increasing 14-fold in the past eight years. | In 2020, Belgian authorities discovered 65.5 tons of cocaine being shipped through Antwerp port, with volumes increasing 14-fold in the past eight years. |
| Last year, officials from Belgium and three other countries broke up a gang with South American ties that shipped hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine into Europe – a probe that started with the discovery of 2.8 tons of narcotics stashed away in a container passing through the port. | Last year, officials from Belgium and three other countries broke up a gang with South American ties that shipped hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine into Europe – a probe that started with the discovery of 2.8 tons of narcotics stashed away in a container passing through the port. |
| If you like this story, share it with a friend! | If you like this story, share it with a friend! |
| Dear readers and commenters, | |
| We have implemented a new engine for our comment section. We hope the transition goes smoothly for all of you. Unfortunately, the comments made before the change have been lost due to a technical problem. We are working on restoring them, and hoping to see you fill up the comment section with new ones. You should still be able to log in to comment using your social-media profiles, but if you signed up under an RT profile before, you are invited to create a new profile with the new commenting system. | |
| Sorry for the inconvenience, and looking forward to your future comments, | |
| RT Team. |