Customs intercept 1.2 tonnes of cocaine in Port of Antwerp port, 10 suspects arrested

Customs intercepted the cocaine on Saturday night on quay 1333. The seizure is the result of an investigation into a criminal organisation that was believed to be importing drugs via the port.

In total, police arrested 10 people – seven Dutch nationals and three Belgians – in the Zelzate region. Suspects include a 14-year-old. They will be brought before an examining magistrate or the juvenile court.

Young people are vulnerable

Juvenile court judge Michiel Steel is not surprised that such a young suspect is involved: ‘Fourteen is really very young, but unfortunately, we have recently seen incidents involving young people who are only slightly older. The age limit is shifting, which means we are dealing with younger and younger children,’ he told VRT.

Criminal organisations often mistakenly assume that the risks for young people are less serious than for adults, Steel explains. ‘The young people themselves don't really realise what's happening at that moment.’

‘It is not always clear to them what they are getting involved in. We hear that young people are added to a chat group via social media, and then things can suddenly move very quickly: they are contacted and have to be somewhere within half an hour. They are then picked up and only given further instructions once they are in the car. That's how their involvement starts and it's very difficult to stop.’

It is not immediately clear which kind of young people end up in juvenile court for such practices: ‘Certainly not always youngsters who are on the radar as a result of other problems. Sometimes they are literally picked up off the street. Some youngsters then make a crucial wrong choice.’

That is why Steel emphasises: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. ‘It's not okay to get into a car and be given 1,000 euros to “go and do something”. That's not right.’

He urges youngsters: ‘Please don't do it. Make the right choice, talk to your parents and go to the police, even if they say they know where you live or make other threats.’