In the past five years, 62 illegal drug labs have been dismantled in Limburg, making it the leading province in Belgium for synthetic drug production. Het Nieuwsblad reported this on Wednesday morning.
MP Steven Matheï (CD&V) provided figures concerning drug labs based on data from minister of justice Annelies Verlinden (CD&V). The numbers showed that following Limburg, Antwerp was the runner-up for the highest amount of drug labs (40), followed by Liège with 17. Limburg also tops the list for drug waste dumping, with 66 registered sites.
“With the arrival of the new container port in Genk, the problem threatens to grow further. So a structured approach is needed,” says Matheï.
“The battle against synthetic drug production is far from over”
Since 2019, Belgium has dismantled 172 clandestine labs. Houthalen-Helchteren leads Limburg with six dismantled sites. While labs were once concentrated in border areas, increased controls have pushed activity deeper into the province. “You see the waterbed effect… the labs are moving from the border municipalities to deeper in the province,” Matheï explains. Labs have now been uncovered in 26 Limburg municipalities. “The battle against synthetic drug production is far from over,” he adds.
Despite the high numbers, most labs are still found only after reports or accidental discoveries. Matheï urges municipalities and police to promote anonymous reporting: “A suspicious smell, an abandoned warehouse, a large number of chemical barrels? Anyone who smells something suspicious should be able and dare to report it.”
Drug waste dumping
Drug waste dumping is another major issue. Hamont-Achel and Bocholt report the most, with 9 and 8 dumpings respectively. “These dumpings are harmful to public health and the environment, and they are also expensive,” Matheï notes. Cleanup often falls to municipalities or landowners, who rarely recover costs due to the perpetrators being insolvent.
Matheï calls for a federal fund to help cover cleanup expenses, similar to what exists in the Netherlands. “We should seriously consider such support… You can file a civil lawsuit to recover costs, but it also has to come to trial, and the dumpers have to be found.”
He also advocates for better cross-border cooperation within the Benelux. “Because criminal networks know no borders, our approach should not be restricted by them.”
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS
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