Operation Etoile leads to the seizure of more than 109,000 euros and 28 kilos of synthetic cannabinoids in Belgium
09 Apr. 2025
From Monday 31 March to Sunday 6 April 2025, the police and customs services of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France organised for the second time this year an Étoile operation as part of the cross-border fight against drug distribution networks. During this operation, more than 109,000 euros in cash and 28 kilos of synthetic cannabinoids were seized in Belgium.
Operation Étoile is part of the Hazeldonk cooperation, which brings together the police and customs services of the Benelux and France in the fight against organised drug distribution networks and the criminal organisations involved in this phenomenon. For one week, checks were carried out in numerous places, mostly by international mixed teams of customs officers and police officers, which facilitated exchanges (at international level) and enabled rapid reactions.
In Belgium, the teams checked a total of 2,240 people, 1,841 vehicles, 48 trains and 7 buses. Of those checked, 161 were in possession of drugs and 41 were under the influence. 26 people were also arrested.
Highlights
In total, the teams intercepted and seized 109,595 euros in cash, thanks in particular to the assistance of the drug and money detection dogs of the Federal Police Canine Support Unit. The Railway Police alone seized 69,340 euros and 11,300 US dollars during the checks it carried out in Brussels.
Our ‘drug dogs’ detect not only traditional drugs, but also new psychoactive substances. For example, a check carried out in the Ghent region led to the seizure of 28.7 kg of synthetic cannabinoids. The drugs were hidden in the cab of a lorry. The driver, a Turkish national, was arrested.
Since April last year, the misuse of laughing gas has been banned in Belgium, and we are stepping up our efforts to combat the illegal trade in this substance. Last week, in the province of Luxembourg, the Highway Police intercepted no less than 100 kg of laughing gas and 504 balloons in a vehicle registered in France. The market value of the gas seized is estimated at 31,250 euros. The driver and passenger, both of French nationality, were deprived of their liberty. The driver was charged by an examining magistrate and released on condition that he comply with alternative measures to pretrial detention. His vehicle was also seized. The passenger, on the other hand, was not charged.
