WILLEMSTAD, ROTTERDAM – Dutch authorities have seized more than 1,400 kilograms of cocaine during a large-scale inspection at the port of Rotterdam, with part of the shipment originating from Curaçao.
The discovery was made on Saturday, April 4, during an extensive customs operation at the Maasvlakte terminal, where a significant number of containers arriving from Curaçao were immediately flagged for inspection.
Customs officials identified irregularities in three separate containers. In two empty containers, bags containing narcotics were found, totaling 32 kilograms of cocaine. A second container yielded six suitcases filled with 177 kilograms of cocaine.
The largest discovery was made in a third container carrying household goods from Curaçao destined for the Netherlands. Behind the regular cargo, authorities uncovered 35 bags containing a total of 1,199 packages of cocaine.
According to investigators, the intended recipients of the containers appear to have no connection to the smuggling operation.
The case is now under investigation by the HARC team, a long-standing joint task force consisting of Customs, the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD), the Seaport Police, and the Public Prosecution Service in Rotterdam.
All confiscated drugs have since been destroyed.
The seizure highlights ongoing concerns about the use of Caribbean routes, including Curaçao, for international drug trafficking, and underscores the continued vigilance of Dutch authorities in monitoring cargo flows between the region and Europe.