Drug network via Brussels dismantled, 21 arrests in Belgium and France
A coordinated operation between three countries has dismantled cocaine and cannabis trafficking via Brussels-Zaventem airport. Twenty-one people have been arrested and nearly 60,000 euros seized.
Dismantling of a transnational drug trafficking network
According to 20minutes.fr, a coordinated anti-drug operation on Wednesday led to the arrest of 21 people in Belgium and France, as well as two other suspects already apprehended in the Netherlands. The investigation targeted a network that used Brussels-Zaventem airport to import cocaine and cannabis from Africa and the Americas.
The searches—27 in total, of which 21 were in Belgium and six in France—resulted in the seizure of eight vehicles, firearms, jewellery and 60,000 euros in cash. The organisation had an established modus operandi: couriers boarded with drugs concealed in their luggage, then bypassed security checks upon arrival by leaving suitcases on baggage carousels.
"Extractors", recruited mainly via social media, waited for the luggage in the arrivals hall with cheap airline tickets. They transported it to pre-established locations near the airport where other members of the organisation collected it. The statement from Belgian federal police specifies that airport staff were also among the suspects.
The judicial investigation was opened in February 2025 following the discovery of approximately 30 kg of cocaine in unattended sports bags from a flight from Cancun, Mexico. Suspicious behaviour in the baggage hall allowed investigators to understand how the network operated. In April 2025, a customs check had discovered 30 kg of cannabis in luggage arriving from Canada.
As the investigation progressed, police established clear links between Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Several members of the organisation travelled frequently between these three countries, according to the official statement.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)