Dutch customs intercepted a record 60,000 kilograms of cannabis in 2025, more than four times the 14,500 kilograms seized last year.
The majority of the haul was discovered in the port of Rotterdam, though Schiphol Airport has also seen a sharp rise in seizures, with confiscations there doubling compared with 2024.
Most of the drugs originated from the United States, Canada, and Thailand.
Officials say the surge reflects a broader European trend. Countries including Germany, Belgium, and Spain have all reported significant increases in cannabis interceptions, much of it destined for markets beyond their borders.
Customs officers also note that traffickers are becoming less careful, often shipping cannabis openly in boxes on containers or pallets rather than hiding it in furniture.
Experts warn that Europe is dangerously behind in confronting a global drug trade that is expanding, accelerating, and increasingly intertwined with migration and organised crime.
At the MCC Summit on the Global Drug Epidemic in Budapest in November, specialists highlighted the rapid growth of drug markets across Western Europe—particularly in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France—where migrant-linked gangs have been linked to shootings and street violence.
