Europe's "cocaine capital" fears an escalation of violence

Teun Voeten lightly touches one of several round holes in a garage door in a quiet street in the northeast of Antwerp. "It looks like a Kalashnikov to me," he says as he assesses which weapon was used to kill an 11-year-old girl in her home in early January.

Although it is believed that the killing was accidental, that the drug gang just wanted to send a warning signal, Voeten, a Dutch cultural anthropologist who studies the drug milieu in Antwerp, believes that there is a risk that it will start a "cycle of revenge". There is a risk, he says, of "an entirely new level of violence with unpredictable dynamics."

The murder of the girl happened on the same day when a record seizure of cocaine - 110 tons - took place in Antwerp, Belgium. It is estimated that this is about ten percent of what normally passes through that port, which means that Antwerp is far ahead of Rotterdam, where 52,5 tons were seized last year, which is a decrease compared to 2021.

The European Center for Monitoring Narcotics and Drug Addiction, together with Europol, estimates that the retail cocaine market in the European Union was worth at least 2020 billion euros in 12,8. It is also a figure that the agencies say is probably below the real value. The number of seizures has increased dramatically since then.

The Dutch drug kingpins have struck a blow

Until now, Antwerp, despite the "unbelievable amount" of cocaine that flooded the city, has never experienced such gang brutality as is the case with Rotterdam or Amsterdam, where, for example, in 2016, a severed head could be seen left in front of a cafe. But the authorities' recent successes in removing some of the power players in the Netherlands mean that more of that activity may be moving to Antwerp.

"Essentially the Dutch were in charge, and they used the Belgians for dirty work, to get the cocaine out of the containers," Voeten explains to DW. "Now the Belgians have stepped into those positions, because many big beasts from the Netherlands have been arrested. Complete structures of organizations are shaken. The authorities will take much tougher measures and I expect there will be more violence."

The mayor of Antwerp, Bart de Wever, requests that the army be deployed in the port. That idea did not receive widespread support, but the government nevertheless announced that it would send at least 100 more police officers there with additional scanning equipment to increase the percentage of cargo control. Until now, it was possible to control only one percent of the cargo.

Gangs increasingly aggressive

Port workers welcome the announced measures, but are also preparing for possible reactions and behavior of smugglers. "The situation is already bad enough," says Štefan Vanfrehem, CEO of Alfaport Voka, which represents around 300 companies.

In recent years, gangs have worked intensively to recruit port workers, and as control increases, so does the pressure on the increasing number of workers. Vanfrehem points with his hand to the neighborhood next to the port where, he says, there are special cafes where members of drug gangs follow workers to get their personal information.

"Smugglers are becoming more and more aggressive. They need information, but also people who can physically help them," says Vanfrehem. The targets, he explains, are employees in the administration, as well as students who work temporarily in the port. "Now they approach them very directly and show them photos of their families, children, friends... It's not a subtle way of working at all, it's a real threat."

Vanfrehem says that he is aware that he himself can come under attack, because he publicly deals with gangs. "I understand that it is dangerous, maybe for me and my family, my wife and children. However, I think there is no alternative, I think one has to be open about the problem. I believe that if we remain silent, then we are cooperating with these people. I think we have to stop them."

International cooperation required

This is not something that Belgium or Europe can do alone. That is why Europol works more and more with countries from which drugs come, with those outside the jurisdiction of the European Union, where some of the key players sit and pull the strings. "Criminals are so well connected that we have seen messages from someone from Europe ordering a murder in Latin America, expecting it to be carried out within the next hour," said Jan Op Gen Ort, a general at Europol.

The police is working on developing its own international network. "You have to have a network to break their network," Ort told DW. "That global law enforcement coalition must be strategically designed, because it is not enough to just remove small players, people who take cocaine out of containers. You have to look for what we call 'goals of high importance,' says Ort.

In this cooperation, for example, a highly sophisticated fake platform for encrypted communication is used. Thanks to her, 2021 criminals were arrested in 800. Previously, agreements were signed with countries such as the United Arab Emirates, where Dubai is located, and where key arrests were made. In addition, there is a need to improve controls at the loading docks in Latin America, where most of the cocaine originates. More countries are joining the effort and General Ort says, "I'm confident we'll be able to take out the big players, but it's going to take time."

And Belgium, meanwhile, has an additional problem. Authorities are concerned that the huge amounts of seized cocaine waiting to be burned could be a lucrative target for criminals.