Why record amounts of Canadian cannabis seized in Belgium show smuggling to Europe soars, CBC reports

Antwerp seizures set a record

Belgian customs officials reported that 21 tonnes of Canadian cannabis were seized at the port of Antwerp in 2025. They said the amount exceeded illegal exports from any other country, including Morocco, previously Europe's largest source of illicit cannabis.

Antwerp, officially named Antwerp-Bruges, is a major route for drugs entering Europe and has long been known as a cocaine gateway. Belgian officials said most cannabis shipments pass through the port, although drugs also arrive through the country's airports.

Prices create strong incentives

Europol estimates Canadian cannabis sells wholesale for about 4,100 euros per kilogram in the Netherlands and as much as 6,000 euros in the United Kingdom. The Netherlands has decriminalized marijuana use, though it remains technically illegal there, as it does throughout Europe.

The RCMP puts Canada's average wholesale price for a kilogram of dried cannabis at between $1,000 and $1,500 Canadian. Belgian customs director general Kristian Vanderwaeren attributed the smuggling in part to Canadian government policy, while noting that criminal organizations pursue the trade for its potential returns.

Shipments reach beyond Belgium

Van Wymersch said cooperation and information-sharing across the Atlantic are needed to counter the trade. She described criminal groups as exploiting a regulatory gray area that is difficult for Canada to manage.

Networks adapt to inspections

Europol told CBC that criminal networks may change their shipping plans when they encounter barriers. Containers could be routed through the United States, and shipments bound for Europe might transit through the Caribbean.

Customs inspections in Antwerp have uncovered varied concealment methods. In one case, a container arriving from Canada in February was presented as a family's belongings for a move to France; inspectors became suspicious of two jukeboxes with their electronics removed. In another inspection, images of a shipment said to contain wooden fire briquettes showed an unusual darkening around the edges.