Hundreds of employees have been suspended after undergoing drug testing at the Port of Antwerp.
More than 300 employees at the Antwerp-Bruges port have been suspended after failing drug-related security checks, according to Belgian newspapers Gazet van Antwerpen and Het Nieuwsblad. These measures are part of a broader federal campaign to combat drug-related crime in Belgian ports.
Since the beginning of 2025, the federal police have been screening port workers as part of the security assessments conducted by the National Maritime Security Authority. So far, 16,678 workers have been screened, most of them in Antwerp-Bruges, and about 1.9% of them received a negative assessment, which corresponds to around 320 people whose work was mostly suspended immediately.
Most of the tests so far have focused on office employees, while dock workers are scheduled to be tested in the next phase. Employees with a negative evaluation can enter the port, but are prohibited from holding 'sensitive positions', and employers are legally obligated to follow these guidelines. Practically, this often means suspension without pay, as employees cannot perform their duties.
The government stated that the goal is to prevent individuals linked to drug-related crime from holding sensitive positions, following record cocaine seizures at the port, including 55 tons intercepted last year.
Unions and employers are closely monitoring this process as it expands to include dock workers, fearing that strict inspections could disrupt port operations. Discussions continue between unions, police, and the Minister of Justice to establish clear guidelines on how to conduct the inspections.