Antwerp, Belgium, 21 September, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Belgian customs have seized cocaine concealed in liquid soap at the Port of Antwerp after investigators identified a suspicious container shipped from Colombia and destined for Croatia. The liquid cocaine Antwerp case involves 450 boxes of soap, although prosecutors say the precise quantity of cocaine has not yet been established.
Customs seized the container on 24 August
Antwerp’s Federal Judicial Police received information through international cooperation about a potentially suspicious container. Investigators subsequently established that it had been unloaded at quay 730 in the Port of Antwerp.
The container had arrived from Colombia and was scheduled to continue by road to Croatia. Customs seized it on 24 August and carried out a detailed inspection. The Antwerp public prosecutor’s office disclosed the discovery on Sunday, 20 September.
The shipment contained 450 boxes, each holding 12kg of liquid soap. That represents about 5.4 tonnes of declared soap cargo, but authorities have not said that 5.4 tonnes of cocaine was seized. Laboratory work is continuing to establish the actual quantity of the drug.
Chemical smell exposed cocaine inside soap bottles
Customs officers became suspicious when they inspected bottles from the shipment.
According to the Antwerp prosecutor’s office, opening the bottles produced a “very strong chemical smell”. Initial analysis then indicated the presence of cocaine in liquid form.
The substance presented an additional challenge because its appearance closely resembled the commercial product used to conceal it.
Prosecutors said the contaminated liquid was “almost impossible to distinguish” from ordinary liquid soap, according to the account of the investigation published on Sunday.
Prosecutors identify unusual characteristic of the liquid
Authorities also revealed a physical characteristic that distinguishes the substance under certain conditions.
“At lower temperatures, crystallisation occurs,” the Belgian public prosecutor’s office said.
The finding adds an unusual concealment method to the trafficking techniques confronting customs officers at major European ports.
Investigators have also found indications that the container identification numbers had been manipulated. A criminal investigation is now under way.
Antwerp remains central to cocaine trafficking investigations
The liquid cocaine Antwerp discovery comes as Belgian authorities continue efforts against international drug trafficking through the country’s ports.
Antwerp’s position as one of Europe’s largest maritime gateways has made its container terminals a significant target for organised cocaine-smuggling networks moving drugs from Latin America into European markets.
The latest case also highlights the role of international intelligence sharing. Police were already alerted to the suspicious container before customs officers conducted the physical inspection that uncovered the concealed substance.
Investigation will establish the cocaine quantity
The immediate priority is determining exactly how much cocaine was contained in the 450 boxes.
Investigators will also examine the shipment’s journey from Colombia, its planned onward transportation to Croatia and the apparent manipulation of its container numbers.
No final cocaine weight was publicly confirmed when prosecutors announced the case. Authorities have therefore left the scale of the drug seizure open pending further analysis.
