Weapons and explosives found in investigation into drug smuggling through Antwerp Docks
Detectives have found weapons an explosives during a search of a property at Genk in Limburg province. The search was carried out as part of an ongoing investigation into drug smuggling through the port of Antwerp. A gang based in Bornem (Antwerp province) smuggled large quantities of cocaine from Ecuador and the Dominican Republic through Antwerp Docks.
The gang first came to the attention of police and customs in December when 400kg of cocaine was found in a container at the docks in Antwerp. Detectives found out that the drugs were due to be collected in another container from the port of Antwerp last Monday.
The Judicial Authorities’ Spokeswoman Lieselotte Claessens told VRT News that "It was collected in the early morning and the police followed it to a warehouse in Bornem. There the cocaine was transhipped into several vans all of which had secret compartments.” Having witness this police raided the warehouse and 200kg of cocaine was confiscated.
As part of the investigation a property was searched in the Limburg town of Genk. There a number of fire arms and a quantity of explosives were seized. Two people were detained. They are a 49-year-old man from Genk and a 36-year-old man from the Limburg municipality of Dilsen-Stockem.