Why Belgium is now the cocaine capital of Europe
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 11 май 2024
- With record seizures of cocaine at Belgian ports, the country has become Europe’s cocaine-trafficking capital. As the flow of drugs increases, local authorities are struggling with corruption and violence.
00:00 - Antwerp: Europe’s cocaine trafficking capital
01:48 - How much cocaine gets seized?
03:18 - Why do traffickers choose the port of Antwerp?
05:54 - The entrepreneurial Balkan mafias
07:35 - How do cocaine mafias make a profit?
08:16 - Customs corruption
11:54 - How can Belgium halt its cocaine trade?
13:43 - Can legalising drugs help?
Sign up to our daily newsletter to keep up to date: econ.st/3HKmuzH
How much does cocaine cost around the world? econ.st/3DwCuVt
Has the war on drugs failed? econ.st/3NsFdSZ
How are Latin American politicians dealing with the war on drugs? econ.st/3OklHHv
Why is European organised crime thriving? econ.st/3mT5iy8
Is drug trafficking to blame for violence in Latin America? econ.st/3tzk691
Watch our previous film about global cocaine trafficking: econ.st/3b40tzi
The fact that Belgium (Antwerp) took first place from The Netherlands (Rotterdam) is that in the Rotterdam harbor a lot of customs officers have been arrested a few years ago because they were corrupted by the drugs maffia. They let the containers through the port uncontrolled by customs. The new customs office on the Maasvlakte (Rotterdam harbor) has scanning streets for container trucks. Containers are now randomly chosen by a computer to go through the scan streets. Customs officers aren’t the ones who point out the containers, which need to be scanned, anymore. The succes rate of customs has gone up considerably, to such an extent that the business model of the drugs maffia came in dangerous territory. They fled to Antwerp. Now Belgium is starting to do the same as The Netherlands did, step up policing and customs control. The waterbed effect will push the drugs maffia to other ports, like Hamburg and Le Havre. It won’t disappear, I’m afraid.
You ´re right, and it can’t disapear, people will always need drugs to party, to work, and because of addiction.
Extremely well said my friend.
The war on drugs isn't something that can be won indeed. Take out one mafia, another fills in the void. Disable one route, they will find another. They will always find a way. We can only hope legalizing drugs will make drug trafficking not profitable enough.
@MeChupaUnHuevon Drug,Sky Fairy. Same addiction, different drug.
Europe = Say yes to drugs?
When the buying stops, the smuggling stops too, but we all know Europe cant keep its noses clean so ................ lol
This is how you make a short documentary Vice. You show actual clips, maps, and information on the subject. It’s not just some kid sitting in a room talking about the social consequences of drugs.
what? What's wrong with showing the social consequences of drugs
You’re way off bro, completely different worlds of journalism. Like comparing apples and pears.
@@ButtMash1 not the point of the clip
Is the economist vice??
Don't forget they recycle 90% of the items, that is why they sitting in a studio with the new generation journalist talking about it🤣
Managing Money is different from accumulating wealth, and the lack of investment education in schools may explain why people struggle to maintain their financial gains. The examples you provided are relevant, and I personally benefited from the market crisis, as I embrace challenging times, while orders tend to avoid them. Well, at least my advisor does too.
John Desmond Heppolette has been instrumental in helping us achieve financial stability and save for retirement. With his guidance, we earned over 220K during a market dip, revealing the market's complexity. Having an investment adviser, especially for those at risk of losses, is currently the wisest choice...
I found your coach online easily and researched him before our call. His online resume indicates knowledge and expertise.
Thanks to Sir John Desmond Heppolette, my investments have flourished. However, the ultimate determinant is the amount of capital you invest. A significant starting budget increases the potential for higher gains.
Sir John Desmond Heppolette's approach is crucial for succeeding in online commerce. His management group has been exceptionally effective. I turned $14k into almost $288k in compounded gains under his guidance.
John Desmond Heppolette, is considered the best course of action, particularly for those who are at risk of making losses. It implies that professional advice and guidance can be valuable in navigating the complexities of financial markets and making informed investment decisions.
I can't help thinking about what the best chances to contribute now are, there are suppositions however a little later I figure out these conclusions don't make any difference as an entirely unexpected development work out with the stocks they examined in that..
Legitimate exploration, great examination is what you really want to create gain in this steady market I'd propose you investigate aloof file reserve effective money management and get familiar with some more. Purchase Organizations stock which you think can possibly develop. As far as I might be concerned, I recruited a stock master that gives section and leave focuses on the security I center around while I approach my different organizations. Contributing has nobody method for getting it done, focus on the big picture!!! Botches are costly
Howdy, kindly could share more knowledge for somebody who has been in the red for a really long time? Likewise I could utilize some reference, how would I arrive at the master that helps you? Is it safe to say that she is steady?
Much appreciated, I just looked her into on google and I'm really dazzled with her capabilities. Have reached her through her website page to hear what she needs to say regarding what is happening.
Thief😂
Den Opferstatus leben und dem System oder Deinen neunmalklugen Mitmenschen nicht mehr zur Last fallen. Der Rest regelt sich in 20 Jahren von alleine.
België altijd aan de top. Eindelijk zijn we boven de Nederlanders 💪💪💪
🇧🇪is nummer 1 in drugshandel, Nederland 🥈
Als Nederlander ben ik blij voor jullie! Gelukkig doet de Antwerpse haven het naast drugs ook steeds beter! Zet hem op daar!
the one thing belgium is better at
😂😂😂😂😂
Omdat ze het moeilijker hebben in NL gaan ze nu naar België idd
I remember several years ago I suffered from severe depression and mental disorder. I was addicted to illicit pills, alcohol, and smoking until I was recommended for psilocybin mushroom treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly I'm 8 years clean now. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against anxiety and depression.
To be honest, mushrooms are one of the most amazing things on the planet and it is natural, they serve in many ways not only for mental related issues.
Can you help me with a reliable source I would really appreciate it. Many people talk about mushrooms and psychedelics but nobody talks about where to get them. It is very hard to get a reliable source here in New Zealand. Really need!
Yes, Sporeville. I had the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and addiction... Mushrooms definitely made a huge difference to why I'm clean today.
I wish they were readily available in my place.
Microdosing was my next plan of care for my husband. He's 59 & has many mental health issues plus probably CTE & a TBI that left him in a coma 8 days. It's too late now I had to get a TPO as he's 6'6 300+ pound homicidal maniac. He's constantly talking about killing someone.
He's violent. Anyone reading this Familiar w/ BPD knows if it is common for an obsession with violence.
Is he on Instagram?
I'm American living in the UK. This story is so disturbing. I had no idea how powerful drug cartels are here in Europe. I will tell you I'm from L.A. Hearing this story makes me think of the states. The guy who said "if things keep going this way, Antwerp will become a narco state, I'm sure he is right. So many dark stories in the world. I'm very sad about this story. Belgium is an absolutely beautiful country. I hate to hear this is happening there.
The mocro maffia in the Netherlands are the bossn
Do you really think the situation is better in the US? About 80.000 people die from cartel fentanyl every year.
Not "Europe". You can't generalize that way. Would you say that life is the same in Denmark as it is in Cyprus? You sound like some Europeans that talk about "the life in America" as if life in e.g. New York were the same in Alabama
The drugs in Europe is very high. But blame the left that aloud tgis happpens. The left doesn’t put criminals in jail. And I am not surprised you as American don’t know about this. Sorry but most of Americans don’t know anything what happens outside of US.
This level of trafficking doesn't happen without some inside men in key positions in different businesses and institutions around in Europe. This is not a problem just for Belgium. These organizations operate in all of Europe as proven by the goods trafficked. Most operations by the police are completely meaningless, as stated in this video the losses are accounted for. I don't believe anything will be done unless someone with an extreme level of drive and competence takes the initiative.
Shadow government trying to destabilize Europe
The problem of drugs should be solved at the root - by developing economies in the countries producing drugs, so less people would be drawn into that work.
@@alexxx4434 the cartels are too powerful for anything like that to happen. Also drugs are way too profitable.
nope, "extreme level of drive and competence." - lol more likely to get killed within a week or month if that someone is lucky. Or just phony puppet to be controlled by the syndicate as to how you can battle this.
only legalizing could be a real solution.
"The EU is starting to look more like the western Balkans".
Oh please, Belgium and the Netherlands were known for drug trafficking long before the Balkans got involved. Take some responsibility for your actions please and stop using the Balkans as a scapegoat.
True, though you have to admit that Albanians are the dodgiest people out of all the European countries...
It's always easier to drop the blame on smaller countries
The Balkans are white and that's the only race you can be outright racist against now. It's really a south American issue.
They all repeat like a parrot the politically correct statement “war on drugs cannot be won as a war.” That’s only because the West doesn’t have the guts to win that war. We don’t want to have a police state. We are very compassionate and tolerate crime. It is a trade off. We believe that we are better off living in a free and tolerant society instead of a crime free society that is oppressive. We tolerate crime in order to have a free and compassionate society. The war on drugs can be won. Look at places like China and Singapore. Because of their sad history with drugs, in Asia, there are countries that do not tolerate drug trafficking and drug dealing and go after them seriously and punish them severely. It works. In the West, we don’t want to be a society that punishes crime severely, and, as a result we have to live with the consequences. In the USA, most of the homeless are people whose brains have been permanently damaged by drugs. The impact on the society is enormous. And it is a consequence of the choices we make as a society. We will see in the next 50 years which approach will win: free, tolerant, compassionate Western societies that tolerate lawlessness or totalitarian police states that do not tolerate crime and punish criminals and lawlessness severely with little compassion. To be honest, it is hard to predict the winner. It can go either way.
true, NL is mdma production central for years already
Belgian here. My country is definitely not boring. It is small with a lot of places to visit, great food and entertainment.
Right? What made them think that “Belgium ridiculed for being boring” is in any form an appropriate introduction.
@@fatibr2060 I was thinking the same thing! That not nice for belgian people
The best beer in the world!
@@fatibr2060 I think it’s mostly stems from their neutrality in ww2. fence sitters typically aren’t very interesting or passionate about anything.
@@northodges Neutrality???????? Mate, seriously? How can you get facts so wrong?
Congrats Belgium on this glorious achievement
Us dutch ppl will get the throne back.
WOW VERY DANGEROUS SIR! 😠😠I WILL NEVER GO TO BELGIUM !😠🤮🤮 THIS WHY IM SO LUCKY LIVE IN SUPER INDIA THE CLEANEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD 🇮🇳🤗 , WE NEVER SCAM! WE GIVE RESPECT TO ALL WOMEN THEY CAN WALK SAFELY ALONE AT NIGHT AND WE HAVE CLEAN FOOD AND TOILET EVERYWHERE 🇮🇳🤗🚽, I KNOW MANY POOR PEOPLE JEALOUS WITH SUPER RICH INDIA 🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳🤗🇮🇳🤗
@@indiasuperclean6969 whoever made this, Nice BOT.
Let's add it next to our world record of the longest period without a government
@@indiasuperclean6969 lol get a life bot
I love these type of videos They give me so much motivation and inspiration to do more with my life
In Bulgaria they say if you cant buy something with money, then you have to buy it with a lots of money.
What????
@@sebwarren9892 If you can't buy something with money, you just need more money to buy it.
@@sebwarren9892 Incase you are not able to purchase an item by the means of capital, you shall ought to acquire said item by increasing the amount of capital offered by an order of magnitude.
yeah, corruption, nothing to be proud of
@@lo2740 You act like western Europeans don’t push corruption themselves the world we live in is very ironic
The police footage is actually the Dutch police, not the Belgian police. And the map at 1:03 is Zeebrugge, not Antwerp.
true, from the dutch DIENST ESPECIALE INTERVENTIES ( DSI)
they are 1 port now. look it up they fused recently
I noticed that immediately as well. Really high quality production here *facepalm*
Those torture containers were found in NL as well. Makes me so proud as a Dutchy 😢
Glad you said this, that way i dont have to XD
Thank you for this ❤
Belgium is a wonderful country. Full of delicious cuisine and outstanding beer culture. World class chocolatier shops in charming historic medieval cities. Definitely not boring, especially not now that the coke has arrived.
Feel free to text me on for more Crypto investment information and Guidance.👆👆
People who don't know anything love hating on Belgium
@@smoshbooz how can anyone hate on Belgium? It's a lovely country. Full of history, cuisine, art and culture
@@korgond, go research Colonial Belgium. Do some digging. Don't puke when you're done. That's the challenge! Holland and Belgium are some of the most disgusting countries, historically. Also, most of their wealth is generated from Colonial era. The wealth only accrued. Educate yourself.
@@korgond cuz I'm Dutch
It has penetraded all levels of society in Belgium.. In the last years I have found myself in a unique position to see the many different walks of life this drug was found it's way in. Law enforcement, justice workers, managers CEO's, dentists, house mom's, construction workers, lawyers, ice-cream vendors, to the small business owners, in the smallest of villages to the cream of civilization, It's everywhere, dirt cheap and easy to get. Coke is so accessible it is only two links or two phonecalls away. Law enforcement in Belgium just don't have the recourses to combat or slow down the coke economy. Within 10 years cartels and drug gangs will have infiltrated in the most sensitive positions rendering all efforts to combat the industry useless.
Where do you live? I only see this on the news. I hear vaguely about it. Things are chill here in Kortrijk/Courtrai. Hopefully stays this way.
Your unique position comes from being a journalist?
@@saadamahmoud8108 Relying on 'hope' is foolish. This is a deadly serious problem, with the ability to affect every level of society as outlined in the program. Your ignorance is rather astonishing.
You don't kno that many folk if takes 2 phone calls and not just 1 call lol 😆 .. and by way my friend .. everything u say I was agreeing with APART FROM THE ( CREAM OF CIVILISATION ) NOT BEST CHOICE WORDS NO 1 IN THIS WORLD IS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE . FDOM HOMELESS GUY STREET TO RISHEST GUY IN STREET ONLY THING THATS DIFRENT IS DIGITS ON A BIT PAPER OR ON SCREEEN ... SO NO9NE IN THIS WORLD BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE AND TILL EVERYONE THINKS N BELIEVES THAT THEN WE WONT BE CIVILSED IN CIVILISATION YOU TALK ABOUT ??
@@robertalker652 It is foolish to have hope? I really have yet to see this outside the news, I never said I didn’t believe neither did I say this isn’t serious so I don’t fully understand your comment, what part about what I said sounds « ignorant » ? And what do you have against hope?
That is pretty sad for the people in that country, drugs just brings violence and death.
It's outlawing drugs that brings violence and death, just as alcohol ban did in the thirties in the US.
@@Cipricus So you're saying everybody should just coke up? You're clearly an expert on the subject 🤔
Very informative.Thank you Economist !!!
Thank you ? You say thank you for this left magazine. The left is part of all these problems with drugs that Europe and US has.
"Why is an illegal product being sold ilegally?" Shocking stuff.
people are selling illegal things.....ILLEGALLY? They know that's illegal right?
I suppose they should legalise fentanyl as well. Legalising some substances doesn't make criminals go away.
@@micu1544 How's that? If it were legally sold (and taxed), how could criminals still profit from it?
@@NavidIsANoob you'd have to legalise everything was my point. Some things like fentanyl are deadly.
The capture by the police of those containers happened in the Netherlands in the province of Brabant. it was enormous news in the Netherlands at the time. It is possible that it also happened in Belgium but in those photos the uniforms were Dutch.
as if anglophones can tell the difference
No it's not big news at all, rather it is pretty wel known that they tip off the police on their own shipment, so their attention would go elsewhere while they retrieve a bigger shipment
@@rok8031 What are you on about mate? It was pretty clearly really big news when it came out
@@Timspt8 ? I didn't see a thing can't be that big of news then
It says The Netherlands in the video; trafficking without borders!
Belgium is not a boring country. Born and raised in India, living in Canada now, went to Belgium for two weeks. One of my fav. countries. Absolutely stunning architecture and cities and towns. Learned so many belgian traditions. Belgian ppl were so welcoming and warm. Loved it. Planning to have a road trip across Belgium in summer 2023. 🇧🇪❤️
2 weeks is not enough to get bored my man, i have friends living there and bored from living there for 3 years
Built by natives. Now it’s being destroyed with plans of diversity that breeds disaster everywhere
Lol you think you can learn about how boring a country is or not in 2 weeks?! Try living there for 10 years instead.
@@KittenBowl1 What? No country can entertain you 365 days a year. You’re bored because of your personal reasons, not because Belgium is boring. You can go live in Carribean, and once the excitement wears off, you’ll find it boring too. Find ways to have fun. Go out. Go on adventures. I bet you haven’t seen 100% of Belgium. Go do that. Too bad you guys are bored in Belgium, swap your places with billions living in poverty and no water or food or anything. They won’t find it boring.
Must be nice living in Canada. Wish to go there next time.
insightful video indeed
Completely understandable. I would imagine that hollowed-out Brussels sprouts would be ideal containers for smuggling, due to many people's reluctance to go near them.
😂 nice
🤣
Probably all the Albanians dealing there before they get on their boats to cross the channel and infest Britain with their lawless ways just like the darker continents people.
Oi! They're quite tasty!
@@Festoniaful Absolutely! My favorite vegetable.
Every week there are disturbances in this city: gunshots fired, grenades are dropped, people get arrested with a trunk filled with weapons and equipment… for several years this is going on now…
Kind of strange that there haven’t been any deaths yet.
Don't worry .it will come like a tsunami
Just in time to numb the pain of the new European reality
Old
Broke
Cold
From west Africa
🦅
Georges! Nondedoemme kom ik u hier tegen, ik heb uwe sv gekocht
@@criessmiles3620 ultracringe
There are a lot of killings happening. It's just that the media is not sharing it. Ours media is clearly controlled by the political parties.
I HAVE ATTACHED SO MUCH LOSSES TRADING ON MY OWN....TRADE WELL ON DEMO BUT I THINK THE REAL MARKET IS MANIPULATED...
CAN ANYONE HELP ME OUT OR AT LEAST TELLME WHAT I'M DOING WRONG
Same here, My portfolio has been going down the drain while I try trading.l just don't know what I do wrong
That's true most people today have been having a lot of failure in Forex and crypto sector because of poor orientation and bad experts
Trading with an expert is the best strategy for newbies and busy investors who have little or no time to monitor trade
l invested $3000 with Mrs Stacy griffin kartner and I made huge
profit of over $6000, and I reinvested more afterwards.
Wow I'm just shock you mentioned and recommended Expert Mrs Stacy I thought I'm the only one trading with her
this was shot well🔥
Politicians: "we will stop the drugs entering our country!"
Also Politicians: *sniffs a whole bag of coke"
Yeah nah, it will never stop, too much money is involved in this.
Politicians always say one thing and do the opposite.
Underrated. Most drugs make their way into Europe by grace of the people who profit from it... including politicians.
I can see why the European authorities put so much effort into stopping drugs because everyone can see how successful that was in the United States.
Yeah the war on drugs is just a total failure, if you view it by the standards of keeping people safe and away from drugs
If you view it from an economic standpoint, the markup from colombia to europe is so gigantisch, that it keeps the money flowing, they dont want it legal, they want to keep it illegal so the profit remains
At least now we know why we dont get fresh green bananas and platanos hahahahahah, morning jokes
How succesful? 51 years of war on drugs. Drugs are much cheaper. Drugs are available everywhere. There is more users than ever. Yeah great success..
😂😂😂...San Francisco and fenta crisis
Congratulations to drugs for winning the war on drugs
The Portuguese model of legalisation and government control of distribution of drugs makes a lot of sense. For the Portuguese, the money saved on not having to fight drug trade was invested in treatment and the use of drugs has dropped along with the existence of a black market. Food for thought
The problem is not the drug traffickers, it's the consumers. No demand = no business. Let that sink in.
The torture chamber clip @ 1:12 is actually no where near Antwerp, it was a raid by the dutch police's special intervention unit and the containers were located in a dutch village called Wouwse Plantage, even though it's close to the border belgian authorities were not involved instead the investigation was a corporation by French and Dutch law enforcement
Nonetheless, bone-chilling.
1:08
What's the problem? It's near antwerp, is captioned as wouwse plantage, the Netherlands and the voice-over doesn't specify the police force.
It's Europe, everything is near Antwerp 😂
wow, it is almost as if international criminals dont care about borders! just because it didnt happen in Belgium doesnt mean it is not related to the Antwerp drug trade.
Great reporting. Great presentation. I wish all news was presented this well, honest, evidence based and careful analysis.
rrrright... a lot of information that needs a lot of checks before you could believe even a half of that, more like duck to me
There are countries which punish drug smuggling on this scale with the death sentence. Needless to say drug smuggling n them does not pose a serious problem.
This is insane. This feels like a real it can’t be stopped at this level. This have crossed into legitimate business.
I live in Antwerp. Since when do I live near the coast? Didn't knew we had a beach 🤣
Sint Anneke ftw
Breskens is 70km vant stad. In geo termen is da pinuts, mr st Annekesstrand is nog ticher poaij moat
@@tonybeatbutcher 👊😂😂😂😂
Did they fix the map? Looks like antwerp to me, when comparing it to Google maps.
Climate change FTW, Antwerpen Aan Zee here we come. 😉
This really just shows that the Belgians take their customs duties more seriously
It would take someone with determination to fix this problem. You probably have people being paid off by drug cartels in key positions within a organization. It would take tremendous cooperation between law enforcement agencies to even make a dent. I remember the war between the Bosnians and Serbs when Milosovich was convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity by the international court. I think 🤔 he was ultimately hanged for the ethnic cleansing that occurred. Why are addiction rates so high among poor people ?Criminal organizations cooperate better than law enforcement? I’ve heard that legalizing drugs would take power away from drug cartels.
Your comment is very noble but I'm afraid it would take much more than determination..............Incorruptibility, for one, but EVERYONE has a price!!!
i am from Belgium myself and this little "Documentary" really opened my eyes beceause we've only seen one of these many big crimenal finds from all of these masive containers + torcher chamber. it's frighting to know that all these stuff are getting transported inside my country without the news (where nearly 75% of the poeple relay on) anounching these stuff. -
Groot gelijk man 👍
This kind of news has been reached out to us Belgians by Belgian media. However, mostly in small and short pieces of a puzzle. This documentary on the other hand glues those pieces together so you see bigger picture. Not everybody can see the bigger picture when reading small articles with just facts of day X. A short-documentary like this on our national television is needed to inform us well.
Its all staged for generating black side money.......
Greez from the next border........
Reveillez vous ,belgique est l eldorado des stupefiants et mocrococaine
@@benvanmassenhove Ik verwacht ook niets anders van onze linkse en gesensureerde media.
Surely we should be asking questions about;
1. Why demand is so high &
2. Ways to decriminalise and “open up” these markets / use / access or whatever to reduce the criminal incentives
Slow down there pal. You wouldn't want to hurt the bribes of politicians would you? \s
They all repeat like a parrot the politically correct statement “war on drugs cannot be won as a war.” That’s only because the West doesn’t have the guts to win that war. We don’t want to have a police state. We are very compassionate and tolerate crime. It is a trade off. We believe that we are better off living in a free and tolerant society instead of a crime free society that is oppressive. We tolerate crime in order to have a free and compassionate society. The war on drugs can be won. Look at places like China and Singapore. Because of their sad history with drugs, in Asia, there are countries that do not tolerate drug trafficking and drug dealing and go after them seriously and punish them severely. It works. In the West, we don’t want to be a society that punishes crime severely, and, as a result we have to live with the consequences. In the USA, most of the homeless are people whose brains have been permanently damaged by drugs. The impact on the society is enormous. And it is a consequence of the choices we make as a society. We will see in the next 50 years which approach will win: free, tolerant, compassionate Western societies that tolerate lawlessness or totalitarian police states that do not tolerate crime and punish criminals and lawlessness severely with little compassion. To be honest, it is hard to predict the winner. It can go either way.
I dont get this utterly moronic idea of " opening up " yeah lets make all drugs legal so the dealers dont profit, like bro u high urself?
@@royale7620 It's not moronic. It's been proven to work. Decriminalizing lowers drug consumption and makes it safer in general, while also shrinking black markets. Regulated drugs are way better than getting poor quality and way more potent and dangerous drugs from the street. When addicts feel safe to reach out for help instead of being criminalized for their addiction, they have a better chance of actually beating that addiction.
@@royale7620 lol it works you idiot. Look at Portugal. Only reason why drugs are illegal in Europe is because governments profit out of it
There needs to be a concerted effort, an economic solution, with all that traffic they could also get some valuable info to identify outlier containers.
Thing is there is way more coke smuggled into Amsterdam , but the authorities just to not catch it. There is a reason Amsterdam has 20 piza shops on a street with no one inside buying pizza and a bunch of mercedes parked outside.
A fantastic mini documentary 👏🏼👏🏼
Excellent work 🙌🏼
wait what? the torture room, dentist chair and fake police uniforms were found in The Netherlands (Brabant), not in Belgium. top notch journalism this.... 🙄
And the port of Antwerp on the map looks like the port of Zeebrugge, they didnt put the marker right lol. Anyways, small mistakes i guess : )
The Dutch own the port of Antwerp anyway, it's well known
Brabant hoort ook bij het zachte g land.
Oh wow there so much distance between them .. whew now I am releieved
Belgium isn’t a real country.
Place a project where you interview specific ethnicities, people from certain places, names etc.. and if a person shows that they are involved in criminal activities that fall into the '' red zone '' category, kick them out of the country forever. But nah instead, spend millions chasing ghosts and playing cops and robbers constantly, just become more efficient ffs
Trying to solve a health problem with violence has always been ridiculous and wrong. Imagine going to a doctor to talk about your health problem, and the doctor gently placing a gun on the table as you speak.
Very well done video! Keep ´em coming!
Was geht diggiii :)
The man himself
Glad to hear that the UN speech of president Petro about the failure of the war on drugs has resonated with the European community. It is time for a new approach, the economic incentive is too big to keep doing things the same way.
I'm from Indonesian full support thanks you for the Vidio 😃👍
Legalising and regulating seems like quite a simple solution to the war on drugs
Legalize, tax, regulate. It take the edge off, gets medically more secure, and usually has prescription as requirement.
Really? Do you believe that? The legalization will just make the narco a bigger chipper supplier for the legal drugs companies, man.
@@DLTeismo nah give the handling and sales to pharma industrialists all the parasitic "mafias" will dissapear over night...
@@DLTeismo I don't think you understood the video, "the war on drugs cannot be won as a war". Do you really believe that you can win by making the product harder to get (aka raising profit margins) when the problem is purely economic?
Legalize, just like alcohol and tobacco got acknowledged as recreational yet concerning substances
Tax, reduce the financial burden of anti-criminal and healthcare operations by making them pay themselves
Regulate, make the drugs follow standards limiting drugs doped with harmful ingredients that most of the time just raise the profit available by replacing the real thing with cheap chemicals (both psychoactive and fillers)
People need to accept that a global market allows for freedom of choice (buyer power) on any kind of product, drugs included. Educate the population with comprehensive information about the effects of drug usage, i was 12 when i made my first school assignment on psychoactive substances. The problem was never the drugs, it is just a tool that organized crime has huge leverage on.
All it does is increase the potential market for the illegal trade. Legal drugs will always be more expensive, not as potent, and frankly, not as "cool". Legalising / decriminalising drugs has not been seen to work anywhere it's been tried, on the contrary.
@@daniel.lopresti where have drugs been legalized lol? the problem is the black market. america showed this clearly with alcohol prohibition, why would hard drugs be any different? although i think they should go a different route and not make it legal and tax it but have a governemt monoply over the whole thing
The last time I drove through Antwerp port (about 2 weeks ago in car) the amount of lorry traffic would make it impossible to make any meaningful search of these vehicles, so it certainly won't be stopped at this point.
Belgium, the country i've been born and live in but feel ashamed by. A country in decay because of corrupted politicians.
Politic . Poli means many. Tic means blood sucker. Nuff said.
Its not only Belgium Miriam, its international, rich people buying off politicians, everyone has their price, i live in Belgium as well
Your beloved multiculturalism is killing that country and whole Europe
Same in the UK
@@spencergregory8049 your beloved multiculturalism 👊🤷♂️😉🤡
Cbdc's will stop this but I disagree with cbdc's. They should just legalize all drugs. This would stop the criminal element.
This is a very interesting but most importantly very insightful story, thank you for making such videos!
Those torture chambers / containers were found in The Netherlands, not Belgium.
But the Economist is not wrong in connecting it to the drug trade around Antwerpen, by Moroccan criminals.
There were also torture chambers found in belgium, I guess they just used Dutch footage.
"Those torture chambers / containers were found in The Netherlands, not Belgium."
And what is incorrect about the footage in the video?
you have to make the fake news somehow, right?
The "Antwerp" drug maffia is 90% Dutch
This a great insight into Belgium, never knew about Belgium got so much into drugs.
We have the 2cond biggest port in europe
I'm from Croatia and I heard about it.
Prohibition doesn’t work. Legalization doesn’t work either. Here in Canada, legalization experiments failed. It is turning the city into a slum. Decriminalization creates a whole wide range of other problems.
Gotta give to you Belgium, you beat us in this one.
-greetings from the Netherlands
🤣
😘
Mijn broer, wees niet zo blij. Belgium is right there on your border. Dag! 😃
Thanks man, btw i like your bike infrastructure, I wish we could also surpass you guys in that but i guess that isn't happening in the near future
Wij zijn IN, NL is passé
We need to end the drug war and take it out of the criminal's hands!
Easily done, just legalize it.
@@HH-hb9uy my thoughts exactly...
This is same happened in Vancouver they legalized drugs some years ago now this people demand legalization of hard drugs which even in small quantities can threat humans well beings ..so don't ever think legalization means over....it's just one step towards more legalization of lot of hard drugs...
@@joexavier4070 legalize it al.
Then give poeple that want it excess to it.
FOR FREE.
Under the condition that they joing a program to help them stop using it
@@dragnar12 Are you kidding?
That's weird, the ride scene we see at 01:07 that this reports says is Antwerp, is the SAME ride scene the DW Channel shows as being in Amsterdam! Who's lying about it? 🤔
“We need to do more of the thing that hasn’t been working for decades.”
Work hard and you’ll achieve your dreams! Well done Belgium!!
😂😂😂
Let's go we are 🥇 🇧🇪
In case it isn't obvious, the person offering a plug is a scam artist. Just a heads up for anyone who may be gullible.
Thanks!
Here’s an idea it’s a bit far out there
Just legalise drugs 😂
Talking about Balkan mafia and not mention Serbia is ridiculous.
Here in Belgium, when ordering a coke in a bar we're not talking about cola.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Maybe just maybe the shouldn't have created a country in the middle of the Balkans to run the drug trade for them. Kosovo is just a bunch of drug runners and terrorists running the drug trade for the US glow in the darks.
"Belgium, ridiculed by some for being boring"
Is that really The Economists' intro? That is the characterization of Belgium you came up with?
They must be Nigel Farage fans, right?
Now I know why Lukaku missed those shots
Seriously should legalize coke at this point. Cut out the impurities, get some tax dollars, fewer ODs, save money on prisons and no one dies from gang warfare.
I highly recommend the book “the first and last days on the war on drugs” it’s an extremely well researched book that totally changed my view on what the drug war is, why it exists, how it has never worked. It’s also eye opening on what addiction is in the first place. Did you know that before heroine was illegal, a form of it was commonly enjoyed at fancy high class parties, and yet addiction rates were low. But when desperate poor people turn to it, addiction rates are very high. Hmmm, curious.
Almost like drugs don't just automatically turn people into zombies and the problem is much deeper...
Just in time to numb the pain of the new European reality
Old
Broke
Cold
From west Africa
🦅
Exactly, addiction is a mental game, a form of trauma escapism.
Agree 100%
Nowadays (and ever since the 1960s!) ALL classes - the rich and wealthy too! - are quite equally susceptible to all kinds of (drug) (ab-)use & addictions. It's this 20th + 21st century "Weltschmerz" we (in the West) are living in - a Sign of the Times...
I went to Belgium this summer and went to Ghent Bruges Brussels and Antwerp , it was absolutely beautiful, one of my fav countries I have visited now
Be glad you didn't go to Charleroi, Liège and Zichen-Zussen-Bolder
You clearly haven’t visited many countries.
@@rogierb7577 I’ve visited every country in europe with exception to Russia Ukraine and Moldova , 12 US states , nz/aus, pretty well traveled I’d say
I live in Belgium and can't wait to get out of this corrupt **hole
Like the video said. Belgium is boring. Its not bad in any way just not noteworthy to be called beautiful or someones favorite
Before, it was Rotterdam (Netherlands) that was considered the main entry-point of all drugs. Now, finally, Belgium is on top of the Netherlands in something
Great reporting, far better than main stream TV.
Simple fact is, it needs to be legalised and controlled...like alcohol has been. Banning anything that's used on this scale and generates that much revenue is senseless.
Thanks. I was wondering where to make my next trip, but Belgium it is.
A wonderful review!! The money earned through transportation of drugs is a lucrative business, lobbying and corruption is the main concern.
Dr Evil would be proud
It’s hard to address Belgium because the criminals involved have a different structure of dealing with their money most of them clean it through Belgium’s most successful diamond market and they’re highly controversial to criticize them if you research them enough
After having been there for a week, I can see why this article is a thing.
How so?
@@theTutenstien it gets handed out for free in some areas.
@@TheOrlobo ah yes, the first few bumps are always free. that is how they get ya.
Same thing in Amsterdam. Especially around the red light district in De Wallen.
@@khalidalali186 I was there as well. I feel like there was a person every block trying to sell it.
Legalize and regulate, drugs have won the war on drugs. It’s time to accept it and actually implement harm reduction policies that work.
Yes, because legal benzo epidemic in USA worked out so great.
What war on drugs? Are you joking? The authorities didn't and still don't take this seriously. If the state wanted to get rid of this, it could be done. Zero tolerance, giving means to the Police and prison for life without parole for the animals who make money by destroying people's lives and our societies.
If they legalize drugs it will redistribute the wealth from the cartels to legal governments. Lawmakers will not make any more money from passing the laws. If I didn't know better I would say many of them are crooked.
@@RainBolt1 you can mail order for personal use incredibly easily. Getting your hands on drugs is trivial.
@@RainBolt1 "There is no "Accepting drugs" if it's all illegal in the first place." what does this even mean you npc? multiple countries have decriminalised drug use and ALL of them are better off for it
Best wishes to achieve the Top Spot in Drugs Handling
Regards
Asia and Africa
@The Economist The footage of the raid at 1:05 wasn't in belgium and not conducted by belgian police, this raid was in the netherlands conducted by dutch special forces
Look up the plug 🔌👆🏻…he got all trippy products 🍄🍄💊🍫
He’s fast and reliable…..
Let what happened here in the US re prescription pain relief medications be a warning... making drugs legal isn't necessarily a barrier to drug trafficking and abuse.
Congrats Belgium with this amazing achievement. Let's hope The Netherlands / Rotterdam will take back it's place soon :)
No, don't you dare touch our coke, srsly, let us have something.
Rotterdam is nog altijd de grootste en meest belangrijke haven van Europa, dus maak je niet druk ;)
Antwerpen*
😂😅🤣 stop it right there 😅
🤣
Abanians, Kossovars, Croats, "liberated" from brutal Yougoslavia are exerting their rights to express entrepreneurian spirit in the best Anglo-Saxon tradition.
i absolutely love the end of this video. great work
😆Yeah, particulary the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation building... their REAL masters 🇨🇳
Next holiday destination confirmed
The harder the war on drugs, the harder the criminals fight. Just legalize and control. All action against the people that want this has been useless.
After living nearly 20 years in Belgium, it's clear to me why and how this situation has come to be.
1) Corrupt, underpaid police at all levels: national, regional and metropolitan.
2) Over-compartmentalization of information and lack of cooperation between different agencies.
3) A profound distrust of all central authority on the part of Belgians themselves. This is historically important. The Belgians themselves will tell you: in Belgium, nothing is authorized, but everything is permitted.
4) A deep disappointment in the country itself, which is a source of indifference to Belgium's fate. Many people WANT Belgium to disappear. No nation that I know of feels so little national pride.
5) Party time. Belgians are warm, fun-loving, extremely hospitable folk, and they dont realize the danger that comes from being too easygoing. They want to enjoy life and ignore the consequences.
do you think mass immigration both legal and illegal over the past 10 years played any part?
Mass immigration over the last FIFTY years has played a major part in the transformation of Belgium. Legal, illegal, not important. Any country with such a weak sense of national identity will inevitably change with all the influx of foreigners. Not only third world immigrants, but also, let's not forget, the tens of thousands (if not more!) of first-world European bureaucrats who have moved in because of the EU and NATO, and occupied the greater Brussels region and Brabant, which contains Brussels. The countryside around the capital is just idyllic, green and irresistible, and it has largely been taken over by Eurocrats.
This are the same points were also mentioned after Dutroux was arrested, how was it possible that he could go on for such a long time. They also came up when the police was no able to catch the bende van Nijvel. But there is an extra problem now. In the past political orientation could tilt parties over the language problem, to work together. But the move to the right of the Flemish people make that difficult now.
@@jannetteberends8730 yes, that's true. The police and magistrates in the country are just so inept, so overwhelmed, so out of their depth that the Flemish half of the country (by far the politically and economically dominant half now) just want to give up altogether on the whole idea of Belgium.
@@jannetteberends8730 The Flemish, prosperous and nationalistic, eager for their own national identity, see the southern half of Belgium (French-speaking Wallonia) as a socialist welfare enclave that only drains their money and resources (see Italy for reference), and therefore they (the Flemish) have NO DESIRE to fix what is wrong in the country. They'd prefer to see it disappear.
What really gets to me is that all this must mean the market for drugs is MASSIVE, one side of me says we should give up, another says we must keep trying. I wish drugs would plain go out of fashion.
Amazing how this is being said for more then 30 years and we still thinking there is way to do war against drug, the only way is government regulations and change drug to medical problems.
Super interesting video. I'm belgian and honestly didn't know it was this bad.
Probably because you were too messed up on coke to notice.
your country is so trash and boring and looks disgusting
Have the coke prices been dropping? How much for a key bump?
@@ClaimClam no one buys a key or a bump, you pay €50 for a gram or €25 for 0.5g
as a fellow belgian: van onder welke steen ben jij net gekropen? onze minister van justitie is recentelijk bijna gekidnapped door de drugsmafia en moest ondergedoken leven voor enkele weken, wake up!
The location pointer at 1:03 is not showing Antwerp but Zeebrugge, Antwerp is literally located two provinces to the right at the Schelde river...
(Edit: They fixed it people now it's showing the correct location)
they fused recently. waarom weten zoveel belgen dit niet?
@@finalfan321 Doesnt matter if they fused or not they are located in 2 diffrent places .... even on a map .
Looks like antwerp when I compare it with Google maps. Zeebrugge is on the coast facing the UK, no?
@@lGalaxisl thank you very much for clarifying. I hope you have a fantastic day!
Put 'Wouwse Plantage the Netherlands,' as it says in the video.
Is the video still wrong?
This pretty much in every capital in the west. It's sad people have just given up on their cities/countries.
I liked how aggressively cartels pushing coca in huge amounts on a daily to avoid detection while sacrificing some of the product😂
They wanna make a difference they need to start going after the cops, politicians, and bankers etc that are making this happen just as much as the dealers. They are all complicit but the "legal" guys rarely if ever get arrested.
The war on drugs cannot be won as a war.
You need to take the war to the actual front (Mexico and Columbia) it's just like fighting the war on ISIS in Minnesota. It won't work
the politicians etc are winning through their acceptance of bribes.
It can if your government isn't corrupt and if you are willing to take extreme measures.
Isn't Singapore winning it's war on drugs being as ruthless as the traffickers?
@@iotaje1 didn't the philippines had success as well?
It is concerning to hear authorities promoting the war on drugs, very costly and largely ineffective, as well as legalization which don't solve the root causes of ever increasing drug consumption. Primary focus should be given to population's mental health, addressing issues such as trauma, anxiety and depression.
You can’t stop people from drinking water by force rather than legalizing them which is already occupied by big pharmaceutical corporations! It’s a very complicated task!
Love ♥️ Belgikistan from Frankistan
excelent answer.!! Belgium narco state
As a Belgian, I dont really see this as an absolute win
You can connect with him on watsap to get help 👇
You dont see this as a win or you do see this as a win?
I would see it as a win, except for the torture chamber but that was in the Netherlands, not Belgium
They need Miami Vice! Focus on the source, send a strike team to level these narco compounds in Columbia. USA could easily do this as it has done it before.
@@calidude1114 narcos are replaceable, the cycle never stops