Organized crime networks have increasingly turned Europe’s major seaports into lucrative hubs for drug trafficking, exploiting vulnerabilities in port security and raising serious concerns about corruption within port authorities, customs, and law enforcement agencies. According to a new joint report by the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) and the World Customs Organization (WCO), over 1,800 tonnes of illicit drugs were seized from 2019 to mid-2024 in shipments linked to European Union ports, signaling an unprecedented scale of smuggling activities.

The EU’s ports are strategic gateways not only for legitimate trade but also for the transit of enormous quantities of narcotics. The report highlights that 68 percent of the total drugs seized-amounting to 1,244 tonnes-were confiscated within EU ports, underscoring the extent of criminal infiltration directly at these points of entry.

Two ports stand out as the primary battlegrounds against drug trafficking: Belgium’s Port of Antwerp and the Netherlands’ Port of Rotterdam. Antwerp remains the continent’s principal hub for cocaine trafficking, with a staggering 442.9 tonnes seized across 572 operations during the reporting period. Rotterdam, Europe’s largest seaport by volume of cargo handled, follows with 180.7 tonnes of cocaine seized in 554 separate incidents.

These numbers are not just figures but indicators of systemic issues. The average cocaine seizure at these ports weighed around 533 kilograms per shipment, revealing that criminal organizations are not merely making small-scale runs but orchestrating large, industrial-level shipments. Similarly, cannabis resin seizures average 1.2 tonnes, showing the scale and sophistication involved.

Cocaine constitutes nearly 82 percent of the total volume of drugs intercepted in........

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