Twenty police officers from the federal reserve have been mobilised this week to reinforce the Antwerp Shipping Police.
The number of visible teams on the ground has more than doubled, according to Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden, who said that the deployment “will be constantly evaluated and adjusted if necessary.”
Between September and December last year, 20 officers from other federal police services were seconded to Antwerp, bringing the operational capacity of the Antwerp Shipping Police to 114 officers, Minister Verlinden added in a press release.
In the meantime, the necessary steps are being taken to provide the Antwerp Shipping Police with 25 additional officers in a structural manner, she said.
“There is no miracle solution to stop drug traffickers,” the minister stressed. “All partners must join forces to tighten the net around these criminal organisations.”
“The police are also taking their responsibilities, with a reinforced presence in the port,” she added.
