An apparently normal shipment of cassava meal in the port of Amsterdam turned out to conceal a very different content. Customs discovered approximately 800 kilos of cocaine among the goods. The consignment of drugs has been seized and destroyed. The case is under further investigation.
The seizure is notable due to both its size and location. While attention often focuses on the Port of Rotterdam during major cocaine seizures in the Netherlands, other Dutch ports are also used by international drug networks.
Cocaine hidden among cassava flour
The drugs were processed into a commercial shipment of cassava meal. The use of regular trade flows is a known method used by criminal organizations to transport large quantities of cocaine from producing countries to Europe.
In this regard, the Netherlands forms an attractive hub due to its ports, logistical infrastructure, and connections with the rest of Europe.
Criminals seek alternative routes
The discovery in Amsterdam fits a trend that Dutch authorities have been warning about for some time. Intensive controls in major ports can cause criminal organizations to shift to other locations and transport methods.
The 2026 Subversion Threat Assessment describes how criminal organizations constantly adapt their methods. It is not only sea containers that are used. Smaller ports, air freight, parcel flows, and other logistical routes can also play a role in the international drug trade.
That does not mean that Amsterdam has replaced Rotterdam as the main entry location. However, the seizure of 800 kilos does show that the approach to cocaine smuggling cannot focus exclusively on a single Dutch port.
The Netherlands remains important for the European cocaine market.
The Netherlands has played a significant role in the European cocaine trade for years. Part of the drugs is destined for the Dutch market, but large quantities are also distributed further to other European countries.
Therefore, investigative services attempt not only to intercept individual shipments but also to map out the criminal organizations and financial structures behind the transports.
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The discovery of 800 kilos of cocaine hidden among cassava flour underscores how international drug networks utilize regular trade flows. Moreover, the fact that the shipment was discovered in Amsterdam serves as a reminder that large-scale cocaine smuggling is not limited to Rotterdam. For law enforcement agencies, therefore, tracking evolving smuggling routes remains a significant challenge.
Source: nhnieuws.nl
