The number of underage drug couriers has shot up in recent years. In 2020, minors made up only 1% of those arrested for smuggling, but by last year, that figure had jumped to over 22%. These findings were reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) following a study by the Seaport Police.
A courier is someone hired by criminal gangs to retrieve illegal drugs from shipping containers. Their job is to sneak the drugs out of the port and past security. While hundreds of couriers are arrested every year, the numbers at the Port of Rotterdam dropped slightly last year, with 83 arrests made between January and October. This is likely due to tighter security and more CCTV cameras. However, Dutch couriers are now being caught more often in Belgian ports; in the first half of 2025, half of the 166 people arrested in Antwerp were from the Netherlands.
New laws introduced in 2022 allow for tougher sentences for drug smuggling. Experts believe this has led gangs to use younger people more often, as they are more likely to receive lighter sentences from the courts. As a result, those caught smuggling drugs are now, on average, younger than suspects involved in other types of drug crimes.
The research also highlights that these young people often come from difficult backgrounds, such as single-parent households or areas with high crime rates. Those under 23 are at the highest risk, particularly if they already have a criminal record, are struggling with debt, or have dropped out of school early.
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