Authorities in the Netherlands intercepted around 3,000 kilograms of cocaine in an operation targeting international trafficking routes, with eight people arrested at a warehouse site, police said.
The drugs were discovered mainly inside a container in a lorry trailer, according to investigators. Eight individuals were arrested. Authorities described the seizure as one of the largest in recent years.
The operation comes amid a sustained rise in large-scale cocaine shipments through Belgium and the Netherlands, where ports such as Rotterdam and Antwerp remain key entry points for South American trafficking networks.
Dutch authorities said they are continuing investigations into the criminal organisations behind the shipment, with a focus on supply chains linking South America to distribution networks across Western Europe.
The case follows a separate seizure in the Belgian port of Ghent, where around 70 kilograms of cocaine worth an estimated €3.5 million were found on a vessel arriving from South America during a coordinated inspection by police and customs.
Investigators said the Ghent case highlights increasingly sophisticated concealment methods, including the use of bulk cargo such as coal, which complicates detection efforts at busy ports.
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