Philippe De Backer wants federal agency for drug problem port

Large volumes of drugs enter the country through the port of Antwerp every year. De Backer’s call for the creation of a federal agency in which all services involved work together under one roof aims to tackle the problem more efficiently. Modelled on the US DEA, he wants to bring together experts from the federal and local police, judiciary, the public prosecutor’s office, tax authorities and customs. “I advocate this in Belgium but there should also be a ramification in Europe. We know that the drugs come in through the port and are further distributed to the Netherlands, France, the UK and so on,” he says.