The Antwerp Drug War
Europe's Cocaine Capital

//Why Antwerp - The Port Factor

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges handles millions of containers annually, making comprehensive screening physically impossible. Less than 2% of incoming containers are scanned, and criminal networks exploit this gap with precision. Cocaine arrives primarily from South America - Colombia's Putumayo province, Ecuador, and Brazil - concealed in fruit shipments, scrap metal, and other legitimate cargo. The supply chain stretches across the Atlantic, often transiting through West African countries before reaching European shores.

What makes Antwerp uniquely vulnerable is not just the port's size but its operational structure. Criminal networks have deeply infiltrated port logistics by recruiting corrupt insiders - dock workers, crane operators, truckers, and customs officials who facilitate the extraction of cocaine from containers. Young "uithalers" (extractors) - some as young as 13 years old - are recruited to physically enter container terminals and remove drug packages, earning approximately EUR 1,000 per kilogram extracted. In the first half of 2025 alone, a record 166 uithalers were arrested, half of them from the Netherlands.

//The Clans at War

The violence in Antwerp is driven by rivalry between multiple criminal organizations competing for control of cocaine imports. The "Turtle Clan" (Schildpadden), led by brothers Nacerdine and Nordine El H., was exposed after the Sky ECC crack revealed 27 tonnes of cocaine linked to their operations. Both brothers reportedly fled to Dubai, where they continue to coordinate trafficking remotely. The El Ballouti network, led by Othman El Ballouti, operated a parallel import operation through the port. Tragically, El Ballouti's 11-year-old daughter Firdaous was killed in a shooting in Merksem on January 9, 2023 - a murder that shocked Belgium and intensified political pressure to address the crisis.

The Sebabti brothers from Borgerhout - known as "The Mixers" - built direct supply lines with Colombian cartels dating back to the early 2000s. Their operations spanned from port-level cocaine import to street distribution. Italian organized crime also maintains a foothold through the 'Ndrangheta, which launders cocaine proceeds through restaurants and legitimate businesses in the Antwerp region. Albanian networks, including elements connected to Kompania Bello, have established their own import channels, further fragmenting the market and escalating territorial disputes.

//The Violence - Grenades in the Suburbs

The drug war has turned Antwerp's residential districts into battlegrounds. Neighborhoods like Deurne and Borgerhout have experienced repeated grenade attacks on homes, many targeting families of rival clan members. In August 2020, two grenades exploded in a single night in Deurne and Borgerhout, while a house was simultaneously shot at in De Gryspeerstraat. These incidents are not isolated - by 2022, 81 violent drug-related incidents were recorded in Antwerp, double the figure from the previous year.

The murder of 11-year-old Firdaous in January 2023 marked a turning point in public awareness. The shooting, linked to the El Ballouti trafficking network, generated national outrage and forced the Belgian government to escalate its response. Drive-by shootings, kidnappings, and targeted arsons continue to occur with alarming regularity. The violence is not limited to rival criminals - innocent bystanders, family members, and entire neighborhoods live under threat. Residents in affected areas describe a climate of fear, with bulletproof glass and reinforced doors becoming common home security measures.

//Operatie Nachtwacht and Law Enforcement Response

In September 2020, Antwerp police launched Operatie Nachtwacht (Operation Night Watch) - the city's largest security operation in two decades. Officers armed with MP5 submachine guns patrolled affected neighborhoods nightly, while BearCat armored vehicles - first deployed in 2019 - became a visible presence on residential streets. Within six months, the operation produced 187 arrests, 15,000 individuals checked, and 724 legal proceedings initiated.

The cracking of Sky ECC in March 2021 provided a massive intelligence boost, with over one billion messages intercepted revealing the inner workings of Antwerp's cocaine networks. By 2024, Belgium had taken the unprecedented step of deploying military personnel around the port perimeter. Increased investment in scanning technology, specialized port police units, and international cooperation with Colombian and Dutch authorities have all been part of the response. Yet the seizure figures continue to climb - suggesting that despite these efforts, the fundamental economics of the cocaine trade remain intact.

//The Scale of the Problem

The numbers paint a sobering picture of Antwerp's cocaine crisis. In 2017, when the drug violence waves began, 41 tonnes were seized at the port. By 2022, that figure had risen to 110 tonnes. In 2023, the record was broken again at 116+ tonnes. The trajectory shows no sign of slowing. Europol estimates that only 10-15% of cocaine entering through European ports is intercepted, which would place the true volume flowing through Antwerp at somewhere between 700 tonnes and over 1,000 tonnes per year.

The financial impact is equally staggering. With wholesale cocaine prices in Europe ranging from EUR 25,000 to EUR 35,000 per kilogram, even the seized quantities represent billions in street value. The laundered proceeds flow into real estate, luxury goods, cryptocurrency, and legitimate businesses across Belgium and beyond. Some estimates suggest that cocaine money has infiltrated every level of the Antwerp economy, from construction to hospitality to professional services. The drug war is not just a security problem - it is an economic reality that threatens the integrity of one of Europe's most important trading hubs.

//What Comes Next

The Antwerp drug war shows no signs of ending. New networks replace those dismantled by Sky ECC-derived intelligence, and the demand for cocaine across Europe continues to grow. The Belgian government has committed to a national drugs plan, including increased port scanning capacity, harsher penalties for port infiltration, and expanded international cooperation. But experts remain skeptical that enforcement alone can stem the tide. As long as a single container from South America can yield profits of EUR 50 million or more, the incentive structure ensures that criminal organizations will continue to innovate, adapt, and fight for control of Europe's cocaine gateway. For the residents of Deurne, Borgerhout, and Merksem, the drug war remains an immediate, daily reality - one measured not in seizure statistics but in shattered windows, armored police vehicles on their streets, and the persistent threat that the next grenade could land on their doorstep.