Brussels police accidentally made one of the largest ever drug seizures recorded in Belgium on Monday, seizing five tonnes of cocaine in Ghent, Het Nieuwsblad reports.
The discovery started with a simple investigation into a stolen vehicle in Brussels. This sparked an investigation into scams and vehicle theft, which led investigators to Ghent. On Monday morning, several house searches were carried out in Ghent by Brussels police detectives, which ultimately led to a shocking discovery.
In one location, officers stumbled upon five tonnes of cocaine, with a total street value of over €200 million. In addition, police seized weapons and hundreds of thousands of euros in cash. Later that day, heavily armed police officers conducted raids on a house on Antwerpsesteenweg in the municipality of Oostakker in Ghent.
The unexpected haul is one of the largest ever recorded in Belgium. The only other comparable busts have been at the port of Antwerp, from where drug traffickers often transport their illicit cargo across Europe. Earlier this year, five tonnes of cocaine was also intercepted at the port of Zeebrugge.
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The all-time record seizure was when 11.5 tonnes of cocaine was found in the port of Antwerp in November 2020. Drugs arriving from Guyana were hidden among scrap in shipping containers.
The Brussels Public Prosecutor's office refused to comment on the seizure.
