In January, the European Public Prosecutor’s office (EPPO) in Brussels announced that it was investigating suspected customs fraud, corruption, and document forgery at the Port of Antwerp in connection with Belgian authorities.
According to the report published on the website of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, seven searches were carried out under the supervision of the investigating judge in Antwerp, and several bank accounts and cash were seized. Investigation Steamboat: EPPO uncovers corruption and customs fraud in the Port of Antwerp | European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The EPPO suspects a customs officer and two executives of companies in the customs sector of setting up a fraud scheme that resulted in an estimated loss of import duties of over €11.3 million.
Corruption affects us all. In this case corruption facilitates drug importimports in the port of Antwerp, a trade that has already caused many victims.
Transparency International Belgium recognizes the collaborated efforts of the Belgian judicial system, the police and the inspection services.
As the recent CPI publication reminded us (CPI 2025: Belgium stagnates, it’s time to act together – Transparency International Belgium), Belgium is stagnating in its anti-corruption efforts. We reaffirm the importance of allocating substantial human, budgetary, and technological resources to enable judicial and police institutions to act with full competence and independence.
We emphasize that the Port of Antwerp is a vital trade hub for Belgium and Europe. As a gateway to the world, this site must uphold exemplary integrity standards and be subject to particularly stringent security measures.
All parties involved are presumed innocent.
Photo: Port of Antwerp, license: CC BY SA 2.0
