Brabo Fountain in the Grote Markt (Main Square) of Antwerp, Belgium
Drug trafficking is transforming Belgium into a narco-state, and the rule of law is threatened, denounces an Antwerp judge in an anonymous letter. Corruption has infiltrated institutions; bomb attacks, weapons of war or kidnappings are easily ordered over the internet, says the magistrate.
When we think of a “narco-state”, the first thing that comes to mind is the Colombialand of and often associated with drug cartels — or, more recently, the Venezuelawhich Donald Trump accuses of being a .
It would hardly come to mind to Belgiumuntil recently with mild customs, one of the member countries of the Benelux, embryo of what would be the European Union — and whose capital, Brussels, is the headquarters in fact of the EU.
Because according to a judge from Antwerp, in an anonymous letter published on Monday, the drug trafficking is turning Belgium into a narco-stateand the rule of law is threatened.
“Extensive mafia-like structures have taken root“, writes the judge in the letter, which explains how the Crime infiltrates all parts of society Belgian, and in which he asks the federal government for urgent help.
“What is happening today in our district and beyond is no longer a question of classic crime. We are facing an organized threat which undermines our institutions”, wrote the investigating judge in the shocking missive, on the official website of the Belgian judicial system.
Mafia structures “became a parallel power which challenges not only the police but also the judicial system. The consequences are serious: Are we evolving into a narco-state? No way, do you think? Exaggerated? According to our drug commissioner, This evolution is already underway. My colleagues and I share this concern”, added the judge.
The huge Port of Antwerp serves as a gateway for illegal drugs into Belgium and Europe in general, notes the . Brussels has been hit by a wave of drug-related shootingswith more than 60 incidents this year alone, 20 of which occurred this summer alone.
In response to this bloodbaththe Belgian Minister of the Interior, Bernard Quintinstated that he wanted to deploy soldiers on the streets of Brussels. At the beginning of this year, the Belgian government approved the merger of Brussels’ six police zones in a single unit, scheduled to come into force at the beginning of 2027, to combat the scourge of violence.
In the anonymous letter, the judge continues by observing that a narco-state is characterized by a illegal economy, corruption and violence — conditions that, in the judge’s opinion, Belgium already fills.
“This corruption infiltrates our institutions. The processes I have led in recent years — and I am just one of 17 investigating judges in Antwerp — resulted in arrests of employees in key positions at the port, customs officials, police officers, municipal officials and, regrettably, even personnel from the judicial system, both inside the prisons and right here in this building”, reads the judge’s letter.
“O Rule of Law is not an abstract concept. It is made up of people — magistrates, police officers, prison guards — who work with conviction, but who have the right to a government that supports them”, says the magistrate.
The judge notes that the money laundering networks cause real estate costs to soar, corruption penetrates state institutions and can order kidnappings through Snapchat.
“One attack on a residence with a bomb or weapons of war, a home invasion or a kidnapping are easily ordered online. You don’t even need to go to the darkweb; all you need is a Snapchat account”, adds the judge.
“The question is: How will our state defend itself?“, this is how the magistrate ends his anonymous letter.
