At the beginning of this month, two people with cocaine worth at least 4.3 million euros in their suitcases were arrested at Zaventem airport. The pair had gained access to the airport using cheap plane tickets and then proceeded to collect the suitcases from the baggage carousel. Weighing in at 108 kilograms, the suitcases also exceeded the baggage limits by a considerable margin.
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'Ghost passengers' caught at Zaventem with suitcases with 108 kilograms of cocaine
Colin Clapson
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The Halle-Vilvoorde public prosecutor's office has confirmed the arrest that happened on 6 November. ‘During a customs check at Brussels Airport, a large quantity of cocaine was found in the suitcases of two individuals. The total amount is believed to be just over 108 kilograms.’
The suspects, aged 19 and 23, were arrested and appeared before an investigating judge, who decided to release them on bail. The seizure is remarkable, given that the weight of the suitcases exceeded baggage limitations by far.
‘There were no drug couriers boarding the plane with a few kilograms of cocaine hidden in their suitcases,’ says a source close to the investigation. ‘This is the work of a criminal organisation that bribes a few people at the airport of origin to put suitcases stuffed with drugs on the plane.’
Cheap tickets buy access
‘The criminals then hire people who walk into the airport where the plane lands using a cheap ticket. This gives them access to the baggage carousel area, where they simply pick up the suitcases.’
The 108 kilograms of cocaine had a street value of more than 4 million euros. ‘Count on 40 euros per gram,’ they say. ‘And more than likely, the drugs will be cut first, which will increase the actual street value even more.’