Drugs gangs adapting as customs faces cuts, chief tells MPs

Why is the Dutch customs service facing budget cuts, and what danger does its chief say this creates?

The Dutch customs service is being squeezed because it falls under the finance ministry and is not formally counted as part of the national security system. That means it will face planned cuts for government departments, while missing extra funding given to strengthen security services. Its 2027 budget is almost €982 million, but efficiency improvements cannot close the gap alone.

This matters because customs is confronting a growing organised-crime threat at Dutch ports. Officers seized 19,332 kilos of cocaine in the first half of this year, 20% more than during the same period in 2025. Criminal gangs are also changing their methods, making enforcement more demanding.

Customs chief Nanette van Schelven warns that weaker resources could reduce the agency’s ability to anticipate new smuggling tactics and protect its staff. She highlighted criminal networks’ growing willingness to use violence, as well as arrests of customs staff for corruption. Smaller ports may also face greater risks if vigilance declines.

What is a customs service, and what does it do at a country's borders and ports?

A customs service is a government agency that controls goods crossing a country’s borders. It checks shipments, vehicles, vessels, aircraft, and sometimes luggage for compliance with trade and safety rules. Customs can also collect duties and taxes and stop prohibited goods. In this article, its most visible security role is intercepting illegal drugs and cigarettes.

Dutch customs works especially at ports, where international cargo and transport enter or leave the country. Officers seized 19,332 kilos of cocaine in the first half of this year and more than 106 million illegal cigarettes during the same period. These seizures show how border checks can interrupt criminal supply routes.

Customs is not only a seizure agency. Its chief says officers must anticipate changing smuggling methods and protect the organisation from corruption. The service also needs resources for measures such as periodic screening. In the Netherlands, customs therefore connects trade control with organised-crime prevention and public safety.

How large is the drug and cigarette-smuggling problem described in the article?

The article describes a large and growing smuggling problem. Dutch customs seized 19,332 kilos of cocaine during the first half of this year. That was 20% higher than the 16,104 kilos seized in the first half of 2025. The amount was already close to the nearly 24,500 kilos seized throughout the previous year.

Cigarette smuggling is also substantial. Customs reported seizing more than 106 million illegal cigarettes in the first half of the year. These figures cover only goods detected by authorities, but the article uses them to show the pressure facing the service and the scale of criminal activity around Dutch ports.

The numbers also point to a changing contest. Gangs are adapting quickly, so customs cannot assume that past seizure patterns predict future threats. Its chief says the agency must anticipate methods such as sea drop-offs, chemically disguised cocaine, and smuggling through private aircraft, while maintaining vigilance at smaller ports.

How are criminal gangs changing the ways they smuggle drugs into or through the Netherlands?

Criminal gangs are changing how they move drugs into or through the Netherlands. Customs chief Nanette van Schelven says they are adapting quickly, so officers must anticipate trends rather than depend on methods that worked before. The article identifies several newer or increasingly noted techniques.

Drugs may be dropped at sea for later collection, moving the handover away from a port’s most obvious control points. Cocaine can also be soaked into other materials or chemically disguised. Gangs may use private aircraft as another route. These methods make drugs harder to identify and can shift risk beyond major ports.

The consequences reach smaller Dutch ports, which must remain alert to possible sea drop-offs. Customs needs smarter ways of working, but Van Schelven says efficiency alone will not resolve the problem. Continued and intensified action against organised crime is needed, alongside enough resources to detect changing tactics and protect officers from criminal pressure.

What could happen to Dutch ports, customs officers, and public safety if customs lacks enough money and staff?

If customs lacks enough money and staff, it may struggle to keep pace with organised crime. The service must monitor major and smaller ports, identify changing smuggling techniques, and protect its own officers. Cuts could make those tasks harder, especially when gangs are already increasing pressure on the country’s ports.

The article gives concrete warning signs. Cocaine seizures reached 19,332 kilos in the first half of this year, while more than 106 million illegal cigarettes were seized. Criminal networks are also increasingly willing to use violence. Arrests of customs staff for corruption show that the threat is not abstract; it can reach inside the organisation.

Public safety could suffer if criminal groups gain more room to operate, although the article does not predict a specific outcome. Smaller ports may need stronger vigilance because of sea drop-offs. Customs also needs resources for measures such as periodic screening and for protecting people facing criminal pressure.

Why can customs not rely on drug seizures alone, and what other ways can it use to disrupt organized crime?

Drug seizures are important, but they happen after smugglers have attempted to move illegal goods. If gangs adapt quickly, relying on seizures alone can leave customs reacting to yesterday’s methods. Van Schelven says the agency must anticipate trends and continue intensifying its organised-crime work.

The article lists several tactics that require broader disruption: sea drop-offs, cocaine soaked into other materials, chemical disguise, and private-aircraft smuggling. Customs can respond by finding smarter ways to work and keeping smaller ports alert. These approaches aim to identify changing routes and methods, rather than measuring success only by seized cargo.

The agency must also protect its people and organisation. Periodic screening can address corruption risks, although it takes time to introduce. Resources are needed to protect officers from criminal networks’ growing willingness to use violence. The article’s central point is that efficiency helps, but cannot by itself resolve the staffing and security tension.

Why are ports and international trade networks especially useful to organized criminal groups?

Ports and international trade networks are useful to organised criminal groups because they connect many routes and handle large volumes of goods and transport. That movement can give criminals opportunities to conceal illegal shipments or shift them between locations. This general explanation comes from established knowledge; the article specifically focuses on pressure at Dutch ports.

The article describes gangs dropping drugs at sea for collection, soaking cocaine into other materials, chemically disguising it, and using private aircraft. These methods exploit the complexity of transport around ports and borders. Sea drop-offs also mean smaller Dutch ports must remain alert, not only the largest facilities.

This matters because criminal groups adapt faster when authorities rely on familiar patterns. Customs chief Nanette van Schelven says the agency must anticipate trends and intensify its organised-crime work. Without adequate resources, monitoring these networks and protecting officers becomes harder. The article links that pressure to planned budget cuts and rising corruption and violence risks.

Key Facts:

📌 Customs is not formally part of the national security system.

📌 Its 2027 budget is almost €982 million.

📌 Van Schelven warned about violence and corruption risks.

📌 Customs checks goods crossing national borders.

📌 Dutch customs seized cocaine and illegal cigarettes.

📌 The service operates under the finance ministry.

📌 Customs seized 19,332 kilos of cocaine in six months.