Faced with endemic cocaine trafficking in the port of Antwerp (North), Belgium is concerned about insufficient incineration capacity for this drug and therefore the safety of warehouses where seizures are kept until destruction.
“There is a problem with the capacity of the combustion plants“On Monday, the representative of the Belgian customs told AFP, confirming the information published in the Flemish press. Nevertheless”a structural solution is on the wayIn the words of Francis Addins, spokesperson for this press.
This solution is discussed in particular between the Ministry of Justice and the environmental authorities of the Flemish Region. It could be advertised.since tuesday“, says the minister’s source.
Stocks of cocaine in storage
At the heart of the problem is the astronomical quantities of cocaine from Latin America that are being seized in Antwerp, the drug’s first European destination. According to the Belgian authorities, more than 100 tons should be seized in 2022, which is a new record after last year’s 89.5 tons.
to burn the cocaine”there are environmental standards that must be respectedadds Mr. Addins. And currently approved ovens are too few to absorb what is stored in customs warehouses, according to the press.
Antwerp prosecutor Frankie De Keyser alerted Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborn a few weeks ago about this problem and the security implications around the warehouses.
According to a Flemish daily From standard, Antwerp police have already noticed suspicious activity around the warehouse, with one or more individuals using a drone for reconnaissance. The Antwerp prosecutor’s office declined to comment to AFP. No details are currently available on the quantities expected to be destroyed.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.