One year since the launch of the Antwerp hotline for information regarding sites producing illegal drugs, 263 reports have been made leading to 16 raids on drug sites. Of these, 15 cases regarded cannabis plantations and one was a drug lab.
City authorities now plan a campaign to publicise the hotline, that can be accessed via a dedicated website. Information is given completely anonymously.
In light of the ongoing and escalating drug wars between local authorities and rival gangs in Antwerp, law enforcement bodies call on citizens to report suspicious activities that may indicate the presence of a drug plantation, drug lab or dumping of chemical drug waste.
The site also provides information on how to recognise such a potential hub for the production of illicit substances. Police and courts have voiced their satisfaction with the initial results of the scheme: “There is certainly room for improvement but we have seen that many citizens are willing to participate in improving security and their living environment,” says Jean-Claude Gunst of the Antwerp Federal Judicial Police.
"The website has also already attracted 22,000 unique visitors, which for us meets expectations."
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A campaign now aims to raise the profile of the hotline and will emphasise the misconception that a plantation or drug lab would be “not my problem.”
"This is absolutely not the case: for instance, landlords risk fire or other damage to their property – dangers that obviously concern local residents as well. Or it might be that you go for a walk in the woods with your children and they end up in a puddle of toxic waste,” Antwerp prosecutor Franky De Keyzer cautioned.
