The Most Dangerous Job in Crime

Five teenagers are dropped off just outside the port of Antworp. The port is as big as an entire city, and it never sleeps.

Throughout the night, there are trucks rolling in and containers being shifted around. But the boys are here for a very

around. But the boys are here for a very different kind of job. Their mission is to get their hands on bags full of cocaine hidden somewhere in this maze of countless containers. And inside the

countless containers. And inside the maze, Belgian police are always on alert. One wrong move and it's game

alert. One wrong move and it's game over.

This is the insane, brutal world of Europe's coke runners.

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Europeans love cocaine. We already made a video about how the continent is hooked on coke, how the market for it keeps growing, how the substance works, and what it does to the people who use

it. But what we didn't specifically talk

it. But what we didn't specifically talk about is how it gets here. How a product that's made thousands of kilometers away in the jungles of Latin America ends up

in a nightclub bathroom in Berlin.

Almost all of the world's cocaine is produced here in Colombia, Bolivia, or Peru. Often, it's brought from the

Peru. Often, it's brought from the jungle to other Latin American countries first. Powerful cartels control this

first. Powerful cartels control this part of trafficking. Mexican

organizations like the Sinaloa cartel and cartel dehalis gone veneration known as the CJNG or Colombia's most powerful

cartel gland goofo. In Brazil the pimero commando de capitalal or PCC is a major player. Balkcan traffickers are active

player. Balkcan traffickers are active here as well and in Ecuador the Albanian mafia has become extremely powerful.

They all organize the cocaine's journey to Europe but they don't operate on their own. Various criminal groups

their own. Various criminal groups cooperate across production, logistics, and distribution.

By the time the cocaine ends up in a container at a Brazilian port, it's already passed through four or five different hands.

Cocaine routes are constantly shifting.

But the most popular ones are by sea, usually hidden on container ships or sometimes under them or in the sophisticated narco subs we covered in this video.

Mexican cartels smuggle cocaine from here to Mexico. From there, they ship it east, often to Spain. The Colombian

Cland Delo either sends it directly from Colombia or to other transit countries in South America via speedboat. From

there, it heads to Europe. The Albanian

Mafia sends the cocaine from here and here to Ecuador. From there, it travels on a container ship through the Panama Canal toward Europe. Sometimes the drugs

also take a detour through Africa. The

Montenegrren Kavach and Scalyari crime groups both maintain a strong presence in Brazil, often collaborating with the PCC. From here they send cocaine on

PCC. From here they send cocaine on container ships to West Africa, often to Sagal or Gambia. There they collaborate with the Italian Andrangata Mafia. To

hide their trail, the drugs are redistributed. Then they move on to

redistributed. Then they move on to Europe, usually via the Iberian Peninsula.

But when you look at all the routes cocaine takes into Europe, two places stand out. First, the port of Roderdam.

stand out. First, the port of Roderdam.

But Europe's biggest gateway for cocaine is the port of Antworp Bruge.

This is Johnny from Antworp. He's 15

years old. Behind the wheel is a guy he doesn't really know. Actually, except

for his friend sitting next to him, he doesn't know anyone in this van. But

that doesn't matter because Johnny stands to make a lot of money tonight. A

few days ago, he and his buddy were approached by an older guy. He asked if they wanted to become utters, coke runners. The job sounds simple. Break

runners. The job sounds simple. Break

into the port, get drugs out of a container, bring them out of the port, and earn a ton of money for it.

Thousands of euros. It sounds awesome, even fun. But now it's dark and cold and

even fun. But now it's dark and cold and Johnny has no real idea what he's supposed to do. Too late to back out, though. Two guys in the group lead the

though. Two guys in the group lead the way. They've done all this before. So,

way. They've done all this before. So,

after a moment of hesitation, Johnny follows them and climbs over the fence.

The port of Antworp is gigantic. It

stretches across an area of over 11,000 hectares. That's bigger than the center

hectares. That's bigger than the center of Paris. In 2024, over 13 million

of Paris. In 2024, over 13 million containers were handled here. It's a

simple calculation. A huge port with lots of cargo also means lots of cocaine.

We have a lot of ships entering the port of Antwor, but also Rotterdam, Hamburg, Laavra, uh, which import legal goods from South America, from Africa, from far overseas.

We sat down with anger, a spokesperson for Belgium's federal police for an exclusive interview. And those criminal

exclusive interview. And those criminal organizations, they abuse the legal ways of transporting goods to transport their illegal drugs as well. They always

choose the part of the the least resistance.

In 2024, Belgian customs seized 44 tons of cocaine in the port of Antworp, but that's probably only a fraction of what moves through here.

There's estimations that about 10% of the cocaine that enters the ports in Europe is ceased, but nobody's sure.

There is a dark number, of course.

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Criminal groups go to extreme lengths to ensure their illegal cargo avoids detection. They've reportedly smuggled

detection. They've reportedly smuggled cocaine in sugar bags with oranges and bananas and in backpacks hidden among frozen vegetables. Or they smuggle a

frozen vegetables. Or they smuggle a liquid form of the drug inside clothing, coal, or plastic. They hide it in cans of joint compound, inside fresh

pineapples, even inside individual coffee beans. They might hide it under

coffee beans. They might hide it under the floor, behind a wall, or in the engine compartments of refrigerated containers. But even if most cocaine

containers. But even if most cocaine likely slips through, it still sits here in a container inside the vast port. And

getting it out of there to sell it on the streets is a completely different challenge for organized crime. They're

always playing a highstakes cat-and- mouse game with the authorities. They

have to stay inventive, constantly finding new approaches. And a few years ago, a new method emerged that completely changed the game.

Criminal organizations, they recruit people. We call them coke runners.

people. We call them coke runners.

They're in. Johnny has never seen so many containers in his life. A sea of giant metal boxes stretches out in every direction. Hundreds, if not thousands of

direction. Hundreds, if not thousands of containers stacked so high it feels almost unreal. Row after row wherever he

almost unreal. Row after row wherever he looks. It's overwhelming. How can they

looks. It's overwhelming. How can they find the exact container they're looking for? Luckily, one of the older guys has

for? Luckily, one of the older guys has a phone and is in contact with the client. He sends over a photo that

client. He sends over a photo that roughly shows the spot plus the coordinates. Time to go. Right turn

coordinates. Time to go. Right turn

here. They try to stay quiet, ducking into the shadows, listening for any unusual sounds. Johnny's pulse is

unusual sounds. Johnny's pulse is racing. He can hear the heartbeat in his

racing. He can hear the heartbeat in his ears. After this, it's to the left. Then

ears. After this, it's to the left. Then

there should be a red container between blue and yellow ones on the bottom row.

And bingo.

Johnny and the others probably don't realize just how dangerous this all is.

The port's authorities have implemented an array of security measures to combat the surge of coke runners.

About exact technologies, I'm not going to give you any information, but we work hard together with everybody. We have a lot of exchange of information.

The port is packed with security cameras. Police officers, customs

cameras. Police officers, customs agents, and thousands of workers are in the area every day. The port also relies on smart technology, smart cameras,

sensors, and a network of six automated drones. They take off from these docking

drones. They take off from these docking stations and do 18 flights a day. The

drones are managed from here, the port's command and control center. It's unclear

to what degree these drones aid in catching potential coke runners. Using

the cameras inside the drones, port staff can zoom in and out of different areas in the port's infrastructure.

Soon they say they'll also have autonomous drones sending back images and data in real time. These drones

would feed information straight into Aika, an AI assistant with a 3D interface. Hello, I'm Apika, your

interface. Hello, I'm Apika, your virtual assistant monitoring all activities in the port of Anat Bruge.

Thanks to a digital network of drones, cameras, and sensors inspired by the five human sensors, I can tell what is happening in the port 24/7. It can

analyze the port's activities and acts as its digital nervous system. But first

and foremost, the police are doing old-fashioned patrols. The most

old-fashioned patrols. The most effective method in catching coconers is be present in port. That's what our Maritima River Police does. They're

present all the time. They check upon a lot of people. If there's any suspicious behavior, they know it most of the time.

Last year, they checked more than 10,000 people. In 2024, they caught almost a

people. In 2024, they caught almost a hundred alleged coke runners. In 2025,

it was nearly double that. Of course,

it's unclear how many they didn't catch.

And then there's another huge challenge, corruption.

It's very difficult to get drugs out of the port without having someone inside the port. So, somebody needs to put loc

the port. So, somebody needs to put loc container in a certain location.

Somebody needs to communicate the location to other members of the criminal organization. These insiders

criminal organization. These insiders move containers so coke runners can access them quickly. For that kind of assistance, port workers can make over €100,000.

Preventing corruption is absolutely crucial for port security. If nobody was telling Johnny and the crew where to go, they'd never find their target container.

They made it. Now they need to get in.

They pull open the doors and see bananas. But right there among the

bananas. But right there among the crates, exactly where they should be, bags full of cocaine. Johnny throws a bag over his shoulder. It's heavy. As

the shoulder strap bites into his neck, he's already picturing a new phone.

Maybe even a car. Time to sneak back out.

[ __ ] The port police have spotted them.

Two take off in this direction. The

third runs this way. Not a smart decision. Doesn't he realize that he's

decision. Doesn't he realize that he's running straight toward the water.

Johnny and his friend just stand there panicked frozen.

These boys are the bottom of the food chain. Catching them won't get you

chain. Catching them won't get you anywhere near the higherups of the cartel bosses. They don't usually reside

cartel bosses. They don't usually reside in Belgium. But on tells us she and her

in Belgium. But on tells us she and her colleagues are hunting these individuals as well. And we really try to trace up

as well. And we really try to trace up to the instigators of the criminal organization, the principles of the criminal organization. And there's a lot

criminal organization. And there's a lot of them being brought to court.

Who's the biggest fish that you caught?

I won't give you any names, but if you Google it, you'll find them.

Well, okay, let's find out.

There's Oath Manel Baluti, a cocaine kingpin linked to the so-called Mochro Mafia. In 2021, he ordered the transport

Mafia. In 2021, he ordered the transport of 11 tons of cocaine that were intercepted in Antworp. In 2024, he received a 20-year prison sentence for

it. In 2021, international law

it. In 2021, international law enforcement agencies cracked the encrypted messaging platform Sky ECC.

They were able to read hundreds of millions of messages sent by criminals.

As a result, a court in Belgium sentenced more than 100 criminals in a mass drug trafficking trial in 2024. And

at the time of our reporting, the trial of alleged drug boss FA Breers is still ongoing. He's accused of co-running a

ongoing. He's accused of co-running a network that shipped huge amounts of cocaine from South America to Europe. He

allegedly made around €230 million from just 10 shipments.

When Johnny and his friend were first approached, they might have thought it would be a quick and easy job without any consequences. Well, they're taken to

any consequences. Well, they're taken to the police station. Johnny is brought to an interrogation room. He's scared and completely overwhelmed and the first person they see is not

their mother or their father or nobody they know but it's just me because I'm going to be there with them in order to help them because as a minor they can't be interrogated by the police without

being the presence of a of a lawyer. My

name is Shavanos. Uh I'm a lawyer and I often defend minors or adults uh concerning code deals. So I think I represented more than 100 cases.

Just like our fictional Johnny, coke runners are often very young.

Youngest I saw was 13. We see a lot of young guys, mostly between 15 and 17, 17 and a half, just when they're still minor cuz it's an advantage.

Because when you're a minor, you can't go to jail. So teenagers like Johnny might think they won't face any consequences, that it's their chance to make a lot of money. for north of

€10,000.

Johnny won't see any of the pay he was promised. Instead, he spends the night

promised. Instead, he spends the night with a lawyer and the police. The

officers start questioning him. But

Johnny doesn't really know who he was working for. And even if he did know,

working for. And even if he did know, telling the cops wouldn't be a smart idea. Because if Johnny were to give up

idea. Because if Johnny were to give up the person who recruited him, he'd be in serious danger. They don't realize it,

serious danger. They don't realize it, but once you're in that world, it's not that easy to get out of it. Of course,

the organization wants to know whether they talked to what did what they said and what they were doing.

Shantal Fondenbos always suggests her clients not tell officers anything. That

way, they avoid being seen as snitches because it's into the file. Everyone can

read it and it's much too dangerous. So,

I suggest them to keep silent. I can't

put my youngster in danger. I can't do that.

But whether they talk or stay quiet during questioning, underage coke runners face serious legal consequences.

So when you're a minor, you are arrested and then you have to appear the next day before the juvenile court. The juvenile

judge can send you to the juvenile prison or to a detention.

They might have to stay there for weeks or even months, but it's different if you're over 18. If you're an adult, you come into the prison. Afterwards, you

get a sentence and that's between 40 months and you'll have to pay a fine of about €8,000 if you're a first offender, of course.

In February 2025, three Dutch men were arrested in the port of Antwerp for allegedly attempting to retrieve cocaine. The authorities didn't catch

cocaine. The authorities didn't catch them in action. There was no cocaine on them, but they did have the typical tools of the trade with them. Now they

face over 3 years in prison. Belgian

authorities are taking a tough approach, hoping it will make an impact. They also

want to crack down on the recruiters behind these operations.

There's new litigation now telling that whoever uses minors in order to do something for them. The sentence they get is much higher because of the use of the minors.

The Netherlands has seemingly taken a page from the Belgian approach. In the

past, first-time offenders usually just got community service or a suspended sentence. Coke runners had to pay a

sentence. Coke runners had to pay a small fine of 90 to €100 for trespassing if they weren't caught red-handed. If

they're caught inside the port without a valid reason today, they can also end up in prison. Even if coers manage to pull

in prison. Even if coers manage to pull off a few jobs, there's often no way out. You don't just tell a criminal

out. You don't just tell a criminal group, "Nah, I'm good." once you're done risking your freedom. Once you do something for a criminal organization and you get money, it's very difficult to say no next time.

Because this isn't an exciting heist movie. It's work for a cartel. Some of

movie. It's work for a cartel. Some of

the most brutal, ruthless criminals on the planet.

Over the past few years, violence in Antworp has exploded. Drug gangs are fighting each other in the streets.

We have seen that there are a lot of bumps in Antworp. Drug rellated violence is huge here in Antworp and it's uh it's very dangerous.

In an anonymous letter, a Belgian judge even expresses concern that the country is turning into a narco state. But it's

not just Belgium. In Europe's port cities, there are shootings, car bombings, kidnappings, torture chambers.

So if these guys want you to do another coquenter job or move another container to the bottom row, they won't take no for an answer. If you don't do what they want, the criminal organizations, they can also threat your family. And a lot

of people don't know that. They they

don't realize it until it's too late.

Many times I have the assumption that they really don't realize what's going on and what they have to expect what is going to to happen to them. For me,

that's like you didn't realize it. You

didn't think about it in advance. You're

just thinking you're recruited. You

think about the money you're going to get. You don't think about the danger

get. You don't think about the danger afterwards. You're not thinking about

afterwards. You're not thinking about the troubles you're going to be in or what risks you are taking.

And the cartels couldn't care less if kids like Johnny end up in serious trouble.

The criminal organizations just sent other people into the port.

Other young people will be recruited on the street and brought to the port.

Business as usual.

The cat-and- mouse game between cartels and the authorities shows no sign of slowing down. The cartels keep adapting.

slowing down. The cartels keep adapting.

They're always finding new and creative ways to smuggle cocaine. One new method is the so-called Trojan container. Coke

runners hide inside a container and are brought into the port from the mainland.

Those people have to stay inside of that container for sometimes a few days until they get a message um from the criminal organization that a container with drugs has arrived from overseas. Then they

have to get out of the container, try to find the container with the drugs, remove the drugs to another container, or take it out themselves.

The port police are constantly trying to keep up, but they know this is a fight they can't fully win.

We try to manage it. We try to be able to seize as much as possible, not only by coincidence, by scanning goods, but also by information that comes from inside the organizations and from uh

yeah, intelligence all over the world, from abroad, from Belgium and so on. We

also know we won't be able to eliminate drug trafficking to Europe. As long as there's a lot of money to earn with drug trafficking, criminal organizations will try to do it and try to bring the drugs

into Europe.

Experts stress there's no single solution to drug trafficking. It

requires multiple approaches at once, reducing demand, prevention, health initiatives, research, and law enforcement. For the time being, all

enforcement. For the time being, all parents and teachers can do is try to discourage teenagers from getting involved.

We have uh people who come afterwards and they say, "I'm very happy I was caught at that time. It changed my life.

I get another view now and I go back to school. I get an education. they get a

school. I get an education. they get a degree and I'm very happy that I'm not living that life as I used to be. Others

they come again and they say we made another mistake and we're trying to make the best out of it. Every youngster we try to help or every youngster we can

help. It's one life or an environment

help. It's one life or an environment that we're going to save. So it's very important if I can change a little bit of their life. If I can just put one

domino stone to change that can make a huge difference. And even if it doesn't

huge difference. And even if it doesn't work, it's it's a never- ending story, but we have to invest in it. There's our

youngsters. They are future. So, we have to invest in them. It's very important.