Belgium to expand police forces at Antwerp port to combat drug violence

By Ilayda Cakirtekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Belgium will bolster its maritime police forces at the Port of Antwerp to combat drug-related violence, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin confirmed Tuesday.

“The fight against drug trafficking in Belgium begins at the Port of Antwerp,” Quintin posted on X, noting that authorities seized 44 tons of drugs last year.

Quintin said the Belgian government will recruit and train 100 officers, bringing the total to 312, according to public broadcaster VRT NWS.

The announcement came amid a surge in drug-related violence, with six shootings reported in the Brussels neighborhood of Anderlecht in just two weeks.

Last year, police made 128 drug-related arrests in the Antwerp port area, according to the Brussels Times.

The new Belgian coalition government took office this month following several months of negotiations after the June 2024 election.

The new government, led by Bart De Wever, the first Flemish nationalist to hold the post, marks a shift to the right from the previous administration.

Quintin added on X that the government is making “substantial investments to further strengthen the security of our ports, airports, and railway stations.”