More than 300 employees at the port of Antwerp-Bruges have been suspended after failing new drug-screening tests. The news appears in Friday’s editions of the dailies ‘Gazet van Antwerpen’ and ‘Het Nieuwsblad’.
At the start of last the Federal Police Service began screening people that work at Belgian ports in Belgium as part of a crackdown on drug-related crime.
So far, 16,678 people have been screened. Most of these were at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. The Transport Ministry says that about 1.9% of those tested, tested positive for drugs. This equates to roughly 320 people, most of whom were suspended with immediate effect.
Most of those that have been screened so far are clerical staff. Dock workers are due to be checked next. Those that have tested positive for drugs are still allowed to enter the port, but are banned from tasks that might put them into a position where they would be able to assist drug traffickers. Those suspended as suspended without pay.
The authorities say that the aim is to keep people with links to drug crime away from sensitive positions at our ports. The move follows record cocaine seizures at Antwerp docks port with 55 tonnes of drugs intercepted there last year.
Employers and the trade unions are watching the results of the drug screenings closely. There are concerns that very strict checks could disrupt port operations. Talks are under way between the unions, the police and the Federal Justice Minister to agree clear guidelines.