The European Union countries intend to take stricter measures against organized crime and drug trafficking through ports.

The European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, said after a meeting of the bloc's interior ministers in Brussels on Monday that about 70% of cocaine comes through this route.

She added: "I am quite convinced that we can address this."

Johansson said that focus should be on working closely with the countries producing these drugs such as Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia.

It is noted that a European alliance to combat drug trafficking was established last January.

Among other things, customs authorities must be able to implement more targeted controls in the ports.

Criminal gangs can also be prosecuted more in the future with the support of the European law enforcement agency "Europol" and the European Public Prosecutor's Office.

Criminals use the ports to bring illegal goods into the member states in containers.

Main European ports such as Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Bremerhaven play an especially important role in drug trafficking operations.

It is mentioned that customs officials in Belgium and the Netherlands announced last January a record seizure amounting to about 180 tons of cocaine in 2023, an increase of 20 tons compared to 2022.