The amount of cocaine smuggled into Europe through the port of Vlissingen almost trebled in 2023, according to latest police figures.

The record haul of 11,566 kg eclipsed the 2022 figure of 4,157 kg, reflecting a surge of activity as drug smugglers look to avoid the stricter surveillance in ports such as Rotterdam and Antwerp.

The figures include consignments that were seized elsewhere in Europe and subsequently traced to Vlissingen, which is one of the main ports of entry for bananas and other fresh fruit from South America.

The port accounted for nearly a fifth of the 60,000 kg of cocaine intercepted by Dutch customs in 2023, which had an estimated street value of around €5 billion.

Police and the Dutch customs service have stepped up their efforts in Vlissingen, including the introduction of a specialist harbour police unit last July to cover the ports in Zeeland and Moerdijk. So far this year 23 people have been arrested, eight of whom were caught in the process of retrieving drugs from containers.

Jan Hoekman, a member of the team, told RTL Nieuws that smugglers used a range of methods to bring the drugs ashore.

“We see it underwater and above water. We see it packed in with fruit, but we also see cocaine on coal ships,” he said.

Other techniques include climbing on containers to retrieve drugs stowed in hidden compartments or offloading packages onto smaller boats while the container ships are out at sea.