A 69-year-old man from Amsterdam has been arrested in connection with the attempted importation of nearly 4,500 kilograms of cocaine into the Netherlands, in what authorities describe as the largest cocaine seizure ever recorded at the Port of Amsterdam.
Dutch Customs discovered the massive consignment on June 13, concealed inside a shipment of wood originating from Ghana and destined for a German company.
According to the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM), the German company was allegedly being used as a front for international drug trafficking.
Investigators also arrested a 72-year-old man from Chaam, Noord-Brabant, who allegedly acted as a figurehead for the company. Authorities say he was paid to register the business in his own name.
The investigation subsequently led police to the 69-year-old Amsterdam suspect through telephone analysis linked to the figurehead.
Phones seized in probe
When the Amsterdam man was arrested on October 5, investigators confiscated four mobile phones as they sought to establish his alleged role in the operation and trace financial transactions connected to the cocaine shipment.
The 72-year-old man and two other suspects have since been released, while the Amsterdam suspect remains in pre-trial detention.
His detention was extended to 90 days on October 20, as investigators continue examining the international network behind the shipment.
The OM has indicated that further arrests are expected.
Ports becoming increasingly sophisticated
Dutch authorities say cocaine trafficking through European ports is becoming increasingly professional.
According to police reports, criminal organisations are concealing narcotics in different forms of commercial cargo, including timber. In some cases, traffickers allegedly place GPS tracking devices on containers to monitor their movements and identify precisely where shipments are unloaded.
The investigation is being led by the HARC team for the North Sea Canal area, a specialised task force coordinated by the Amsterdam Public Prosecution Service.
The team brings together the Dutch Customs Service, FIOD (Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service) and the Police.
The Amsterdam seizure is the largest cocaine haul recorded at the port, although it does not constitute the largest cocaine seizure in Dutch history.
That record was set in 2023 at the Port of Rotterdam, when authorities seized more than 8,000 kilograms of cocaine.
The latest case is likely to intensify scrutiny of international drug-trafficking routes involving commercial cargo arriving from West Africa, including Ghana.
