Four airport cargo workers arrested over suspected drug trafficking through Schiphol

Four people were arrested by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee on Tuesday as part of an extensive investigation into drug trafficking through Schiphol Airport. The investigation is targeting employees involved in handling air cargo at the airport. The four suspects are men aged 34, 38, 46, and 48. They were arrested in Zoetermeer, Utrecht, Wassenaar and Waddinxveen.

While early statements were cautious, a Marechaussee spokesperson later confirmed to NOS that all four suspects are actively employed within the air cargo sector at the airport. Investigators also searched several homes and warehouses, seizing cash and mobile phones as part of the investigation.

Investigators also uncovered a possible link between one of the suspects and a drug lab in Belgium. Belgian police subsequently dismantled the lab on the same day.

The operation was spearheaded specifically by the CargoHarc-team Schiphol, a specialized, elite partnership consisting of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, the Customs service, and the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD).

The investigation falls under a broad national mandate targeting subversive crime, investigating exactly how criminal syndicates manipulate and abuse legitimate logistical airport procedures to import illicit goods. Due to the ongoing nature of the operation, the Marechaussee has strictly refused to disclose the exact weight or types of drugs intercepted, nor have they revealed which specific freight companies or cargo roles the men filled.