LONDON

More than 300 employees at the port of Antwerp-Bruges have been suspended after failing new drug-related security checks, according to Belgian media reports on Friday.

Newspapers Gazet van Antwerpen and Het Nieuwsblad reported that the suspensions are linked to tighter controls introduced as part of a crackdown on organized drug crime in Belgian ports.

Since the start of 2025, federal police have been screening people working in ports across the country.

Figures from Belgium’s Mobility Ministry showed that 16,678 people have been screened so far, mainly at Antwerp-Bruges.

About 1.9% received a negative assessment, equivalent to roughly 320 people. Many were suspended immediately.

Most of those checked to date are office staff. Dock workers, who handle cargo and play a central role in port operations, are expected to be screened next.

Workers who receive a negative assessment are still allowed to enter the port but are banned from holding “critical” positions.

Employers are legally required to follow the security advice. In practice, this often means suspension without pay, as affected staff can no longer perform their jobs.

The Belgian government says the measures are designed to keep people with links to drug trafficking away from sensitive roles.

The move follows record cocaine seizures at the port last year, with 55 tons intercepted.