“If we do nothing, Belgium risks becoming a narco-state,” warns Belgian Drug Commissioner Ine Van Wymersch. Speaking on VRT TV she noted how criminal organisations are gaining ever greater control over Belgian society and sees only one way to turn the tide: "We must go after the money," she says. “Fortunately, everyone is now on the same page.”
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Is Belgium becoming a narco-state?
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“Is Belgium becoming a narco-state?” This is the opening question that VRT’s Fatma Taspinar posed to journalist Rudi Vranckx, who, together with his Dutch colleague Sinan Can, has produced a four-part documentary (“Drugsdelta”) centred on that very question.
“Belgium and the Netherlands are not narco-states,” is Vranckx’s brief reply, but he adds a warning. “We must be careful.” Drug Commissioner Ine Van Wymersch agrees with him. She fears that Belgium will indeed become a narco-state, “if we do nothing”.
Van Wymersch explains: “It is about more than just drugs: a narco-state is a parallel state in which criminal organisations, through corruption and intimidation, acquire enormous power over a country’s economic life, society and political authorities. It is a criminal alternative to a democratic society.”
The shootings in Brussels over recent weeks, months and years reveal that these organisations have already penetrated deep into Belgian society. Drug-related violence is also spreading beyond Brussels, Antwerp and Rotterdam.
Vranckx, too, notes that such criminal organisations have already penetrated very deep into Belgium society. Take the Port of Antwerp, for example. He speaks to a dock worker who explains how easy it is to ‘earn’ 75,000 euros in a matter of minutes.
Follow the money!
The drug commissioner is not surprised that people change their tune when such large sums of money are involved. “That is why we must ensure they are not tempted.” How? By disrupting the cash flows of criminal organisations, for example through the seizure of property and confiscations.
“Follow the money – that’s the only thing you can do,” agrees Rudi Vranckx. Criminal defence lawyer Sven Mary concurs. “Go after the money. Prison sentences of up to 20 years achieve nothing. Punish them but make them pay as well. 10 million euros or even 100 million euros. These are the sums we’re talking about.”
“In her last interview Belgian Justice Minister Verlinden said that she needs 1 billion euros. Well, you could easily raise that from those criminal organisations in the space of a year.”
Van Wymersch is pleased that “everyone is finally on the same page”. She fears that Belgium could well become a narco-state “if we do nothing”.
“Ideally, efforts should have started 20 years ago. We didn’t do that then, so we have to do it today. We have no other choice. We must take on that criminal money and reinvest it in the fight against drugs.”