By AML Intelligence Correspondents
DRUG-trafficking is turning Belgium into a narco-state – with the rule of law under threat, an Antwerp judge has warned.
“What is happening today in our district and beyond is no longer a classic crime issue. We are facing an organized threat that undermines our institutions,” the judge wrote in a letter published today (Monday) seeking urgent federal government help.
“Extensive mafia-like structures have taken root, becoming a parallel power that challenges not only the police but also the judiciary. The consequences are serious: are we evolving into a narco-state? No way, you think? Exaggerated? According to our drug commissioner, this evolution is already underway. My colleagues and I share that concern,” the investigating judge wrote on the official website of the Belgian court system.
The judge notes that money-laundering networks drive up real-estate costs, the corruption penetrates state institutions and kidnappings can be ordered on Snapchat.
Antwerp’s port – one of the world’s busiest – has long been a gateway for cocaine into Europe from Latin America.
Customs and port workers have been bribed with huge amounts of cash and officials have warned of legitimate businesses and politicians falling under the spell of the traffickers.
Meanwhile Brussels, the country’s capital and home to the EU’s influential institutions and parliament, has been plagued by a spate of drug-related shootings, with more than 60 incidents this year alone, 20 of them occurring just this summer.
The country’s Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said he wanted to deploy soldiers on the streets of Brussels to counteract the crime.
In today’s letter, the judge describes a narco-state as characterized by an illegal economy, corruption and violence, all of which fit Belgium the judge says.
“This bribery seeps into our institutions. The cases I have led in recent years — and I am just one of 17 investigative judges in Antwerp — have resulted in arrests of employees in key port positions, customs officers, police officers, municipal clerks, and, regrettably, even justice system staff, both inside prisons and right here in this building,” the judge’s letter reads.
“A home attack with a bomb or weapons of war, a home invasion, or a kidnapping are all easily ordered online. You don’t even need to go to the dark web; a Snapchat account is all it takes,” the judge added.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article
If you would like unlimited access to AML Intelligence premium articles, newsletter delivered twice a week, access to our Global Bank Fines and Penalties database, free access to Boardroom Series events and much more, select one of our subscription options and become a subscriber!
