22-Year-Old Caught with 51 kg Cocaine at Zaventem Airport

A 22-year-old woman from Anderlecht was arrested on July 31 in the baggage hall of Brussels Airport in Zaventem after customs officers discovered 51 kilograms of cocaine hidden in her two suitcases. The suspect, identified as Y.B., was not an arriving passenger on the flight, raising serious questions about airport security procedures.

The drugs were found during a routine customs check of passengers arriving from a Brussels Airlines flight originating in Freetown, Sierra Leone, which had departed the previous evening. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, both suitcases were wrapped in plastic foil and completely filled with blocks of cocaine.

How the Suspect Was Recruited

Y.B. admitted to investigators that she had been recruited via Snapchat to pick up the suitcases. The person who contacted her claimed the luggage contained only cash and provided her with the baggage label numbers. She agreed to participate because she was experiencing financial difficulties.

This recruitment method is part of a broader trend documented in Dutch and Belgian media. According to a January 2024 investigation by NOS/Nieuwsuur, drug dealers increasingly recruit so-called “uithalers” (drug extractors) through social media platforms like Snapchat or in nightclubs. Recruiters analyze potential candidates in bars and clubs, observing how they behave and interact. Uithalers can earn between 5,000 and 50,000 euros per job, making it attractive to young people with financial problems.

Official Response and Investigation

The prosecutor’s office of Halle-Vilvoorde confirmed the arrest and stated that Y.B. has been placed under electronic surveillance by order of the investigating judge. “The suspect is an extractor and not an arriving passenger. How she gained access to the baggage hall is part of the further investigation,” the prosecutor’s office said in an official statement.

The fact that a non-passenger was able to enter the restricted baggage hall area raises significant security concerns. The investigation into how she obtained access is ongoing.

Shifting Smuggling Routes

According to defense lawyer Yarni Geldof, who is representing Y.B., drug organizations are increasingly shifting their supply routes away from direct South American flights. “Baggage arriving from South American flights is thoroughly checked upon arrival at Zaventem,” Geldof explained. “Drug organizations are therefore shifting their supply lines and making a stopover in West Africa. Baggage control there is much more lax, so drug couriers can easily transfer to a Brussels Airlines flight to Zaventem.”

This strategy exploits weaker security controls at African airports before the drugs are transferred to flights bound for Belgium.

A Growing Problem at Zaventem

The arrest is part of a concerning pattern of drug extraction operations at Belgian airports. In November 2025, two “ghost passengers” were caught with 108 kilograms of cocaine in their suitcases at Zaventem, with an estimated street value of over 4.3 million euros, as reported by VRT NWS. The duo had used cheap airline tickets to gain access to the airport before retrieving the suitcases from the baggage carousel.

Earlier, in April 2021, two baggage handlers were caught extracting 70 kilograms of cocaine from a TUI flight arriving from the Dominican Republic, according to Het Laatste Nieuws. Six suspects were arrested in that operation, all of whom worked at Brussels Airport.

The scale of the problem is reflected in recent statistics. According to Transport Online, the Halle-Vilvoorde prosecutor’s office requested investigating judges for 123 drug couriers in 2025, a 24% increase from 99 in 2024. Of these, 30 were caught with cocaine. The largest age group was 20-29 years old, accounting for 40% of arrests. In total, 2,574 kilograms of drugs were intercepted at Brussels Airport in 2025, including 382 kilograms of cocaine.

More recently, in June 2026, an international drug network operating between Zaventem and France was dismantled, resulting in 9 arrests and the seizure of 13 kilograms of cocaine, as VRT NWS reported.

What’s Next

The investigation into how Y.B. gained access to the baggage hall continues, and the outcome could have significant implications for airport security protocols. The case also highlights the vulnerability of financially struggling young people who are targeted by criminal organizations as drug extractors. As authorities continue to crack down on drug smuggling through Zaventem, the question remains whether security measures can keep pace with the increasingly sophisticated tactics of drug trafficking networks.