Federal Public Service Finance

Invitation to the press – Note to the editors - Not for publication

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Vincent Van Peteghem and the Dutch Secretary of State for Surcharges and Customs, Aukje de Vries, together with Deputy Administrator General Customs Belgium, Stephan Legein and Director General Customs Netherlands, Nanette van Schelven will present the results of drug seizures in 2023. 
The figures will be presented Wednesday, January 17, 2024 in the port of Vlissingen, followed by a short demonstration by both Belgian and Dutch Customs. During the...

From June 12 to July 11 2023, the international operation White Sea III against drugs smuggling on sea took place.

The operational activities were situated along the Western European coast, in the seaports, on the Channel and the North Sea. There was an active participation of the Customs and Police services. The international operation was led by Belgian Customs as an action under the EMPACT Framework.

The operation focused on the following maritime smuggling methods: drop off at sea...

Today, Vincent Van Peteghem, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in charge of Anti-Fraud Coordination and the National Lottery, and Kristian Vanderwaeren, Administrator General of the General Administration of Customs and Excise (GAC&E) gave an interim overview of drugs seized during the first 6 months of 2023 in the Port of Antwerp at the Border Inspection Post, Left Bank (GIP Linkeroever). An Memorandum of Understanding with terminal operators and the Port of Antwerp was also signed...

The Minister of Finance, Vincent Van Peteghem, and the General Administrator of Customs and Excise, Kristian Vanderwaeren, will present the results of cocaine seizures in the port of Antwerp after the first 6 months of 2023.

 

During the press conference, an MoU (memorandum of understanding) will also be signed with terminal operators.

 

When? Wednesday, July 12 at 3pm.

Where? GIP Linkeroever (grens inspectie post), Sint-Antoniusweg 1795, 9130 Beveren.


Schedule?

15.00...

Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Vincent Van Peteghem and Dutch State Secretary for Benefits and Customs Aukje de Vries presented the results of drug seizures for the year 2022 in the international ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam at a joint press conference. Both customs services combined seized 160 tonnes of cocaine in 2022.

Belgian  Minister of Finance Vincent Van Peteghem and Dutch State Secretary for Customs Aukje de Vries will jointly present the results of cocaine seizures in the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam and the approach to combating it.

Thanks to a structured multidisciplinary cooperation in the fight against organised crime and international serious crime, no less than 74 illegal cigarette factories and 28 water pipe tobacco factories have been dismantled in 2021 across Europe.  Since 2018, it represents an increase of 57.4 % in the number of dismantled cigarette factories and an increase of 75% in the number of dismantled water pipe tobacco factories. 

You are cordially invited to attend the inauguration of the new SHAPE-Village accommodation on October 19th 2021 between 8:15 and 8:45 am.