In 2019, investigators discovered almost 400 kilograms of heroin in the port of Felixstowe (GB) in a container that was heading to Antwerp in Belgium.Image: EPA
Belgium’s justice system is in crisis. After an anonymous letter, a high-ranking judge and an attorney general are now warning that years of underfunding are encouraging drug crime and that the country could become a narco state.
March 9, 2026, 6:59 p.mMarch 9, 2026, 7:15 p.m
Judges warn: Belgium is developing into a narco state
The message from the President of the Antwerp Court of Appeal, Bart Willocx, is clear: “We really have a problem,” he tells the “Guardian”. Drug crime – not only in Belgium but internationally – poses a danger to his country. He states:
“The sums involved – to influence people, corrupt people and bribe people – are so large that they really pose a threat to the stability of our society.”
A colleague of Willocx had already warned last October that the country was developing into a drug state in which mafia groups formed a parallel force in society. The judge remained anonymous in his open letter. The extensive mafia structures that had established themselves and led to violence, shootings, torture and money laundering would challenge not only the police but also the judiciary.
The Attorney General for the Antwerp and Limburg regions, Guido Vermeiren, takes a similar tone. “We are developing into a state with a lot of corruption and a lot of threats,” he tells the Guardian. Criminals are said to have paid port workers over 250,000 euros (around 225,300 Swiss francs) to move a single container. When they refused, they were threatened and confronted with bomb attacks. “They received letters and photos of their children. Their houses were attacked with homemade explosives,” said Vermeiren.
The criminals would also target the judiciary. Police and hospital employees are said to have been bribed or intimidated into disclosing confidential data such as judges’ private addresses. In addition, more and more Belgian judges are in shelters. The anonymous author of the open letter spent four months in such accommodation.
In 2022 it even got to the point that the then Belgian Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne had to go into hiding for a certain time and received police protection because he had received threats due to partial successes against drug crime. Before that, he was said to have almost been kidnapped.
Former Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne received police protection in 2022.Image: keystone
Belgium is working on not becoming a drug state, says Willocx in an interview with the Guardian. Nevertheless, it is a threat. He draws the following conclusion:
“We really have a problem and should invest more in staff and other resources to get it under control.”
Campaign warns of collapse of justice system
The “Five to Twelve” campaign was launched by courts and prosecutors in Antwerp to warn of the impending collapse of the Belgian justice system. The public should be made aware of the crisis in the justice system as it threatens the rule of law in Belgium.
The 2025 movement began with street protests by judges. Under the Banner “Underfunded judiciary = danger to democracy” They drew attention to dilapidated buildings, staff shortages and poor working conditions.
“The pressure on prosecutors and judges is enormous,” emphasizes Willocx to the Guardian. “If things continue like this, many judges will no longer work in criminal law for security reasons and because of the immense pressure.” The threat posed by drug criminals could already be unconsciously exerting an influence on the justice system.
The judges are proposing several reforms as part of the campaign. They are demanding, among other things, more security in courts, a fight against overcrowding in prisons and more attractive salaries and pensions. According to Vermeiren, the Belgian government recognizes the problem, “but then nothing happens anymore.”
In November 2025, the Ministry of Justice agreed to provide an additional 1 billion euros (901,175,000 Swiss francs) by 2029 – but doubts about sufficient resources remain. Decades of underfunding of courts and prosecutors make the system vulnerable to calls for further cuts because it is seen as not functioning well, Willocx tells the Guardian. That would lead to a vicious circle.
Belgium: hub for the illegal drug trade
Belgium is considered one of the hubs for the illegal trade in cannabis and cocaine, but also synthetic drugs such as ketamine, ecstasy and MDMA. The Belgian port of Antwerp in particular has long been known as an important transshipment point in the international drug trade. According to the EU drug agency Europol, more than 70 percent of the cocaine entering Europe came via Antwerp and Rotterdam in 2024.
Antwerp is known as an important drug trafficking center.Image: Shutterstock
But drug smuggling is also increasing at Brussels Airport. In 2025, the amount of illegal drugs confiscated at Brussels-Zaventem Airport would have doubled to around nine tons, Belgian customs announced at the end of last year. In addition to the 7.8 tons of cannabis and around 540 kilograms of cocaine, customs at Brussels airport also confiscated almost 500 kilograms of ketamine intended for export last year.
The majority of the smuggled cannabis arrived at the airport in freight traffic. But the drug is also repeatedly found on travelers or in their luggage.
The drugs come from these countries
Cannabis made up the majority of drugs confiscated in 2025, at almost eight tons. The drug came primarily from three countries: Thailand, the USA and Canada, explained the head of the customs authority, Kristian Vanderwaeren, in December.
The fact that the cultivation of cannabis is now legal in some US states has brought active criminal gangs into action in Europe. “It is obvious that selling cannabis on the European market brings in more money,” said Vanderwaeren.
The number of drug discoveries increases as their global production increases, Vanderwaeren explained. At the same time, it is clear that the authorities did not discover “large quantities” of the smuggled drugs because they could not control everything.
Cocaine comes primarily from South America, primarily from Colombia, to Belgium and thus to Europe. The European continent has become the main sales market for the drug – South American countries have increased their production accordingly.
With material from the news agencies SDA and AFP.