About us

Together against crime

The seaports of Moerdijk, Vlissingen/Borsele, and Terneuzen are important hubs of international activity. They receive goods from all over the world and supply the European hinterland and beyond from here.

Criminal organizations also see this success. They exploit legal goods flows, employees, and organizations to conduct their illegal business. In this way, they try to smuggle large quantities of drugs through the ports unnoticed. This abuse of the legal upper world by organized crime is called undermining.

Mainport Seaports information: facts, figures, and partners

Mainport Seaports
Facts and figures
Partners

By joining forces, we combat crime. This ensures that doing business remains good and working safely in the seaports of Moerdijk, Terneuzen, and Vlissingen/Borsele.

Mainport Seaports Zeeland | West-Brabant

Collaboration

The Mainport Program Seaports Zeeland – West Brabant makes our seaports resilient against undermining crime and tackles criminals, ensuring a safe working environment and good business opportunities.

It’s a joint approach involving the municipalities of Vlissingen, Borsele, Terneuzen, and Moerdijk, the Police, Public Prosecution Service, Customs, Royal Marechaussee, Tax Authority, and the port companies North Sea Port and Port of Moerdijk. They collaborate with entrepreneurs.

Together, we ensure that criminals don’t have the opportunity to smuggle drugs, for example. We do this by enhancing port security and making the people working there more resilient. On the other hand, we actively work to detect criminal activities, seize drugs, and prosecute offenders.

Do you own or work in one of these ports and want to know more? Feel free to contact us.

Contact

Facts and figures

Safe Seaports Zeeland and West-Brabant

The Port of Moerdijk provides employment for approximately 20,000 people (10,600 directly; 9,330 indirectly).
North Sea Port counts 550 companies and 102,000 jobs.
We trained 1,500 employees in 157 ‘Recruitment-proof in the port’ training sessions. (2023)
We trained 550 employees in 32 ‘Security Awareness’ sessions. (2023)

Expansion of Seaport Police.
Research and innovation.
Strengthening physical security through measures such as smart fencing, cameras, biometric access control, and motion detection.
Strengthening municipal supervision and enforcement in the ports.

Approximately 100,000 people reached through awareness campaign. (2023)
Governments and entrepreneurs share knowledge and information.
In 2023: 11,500 kg of cocaine seized.

In 2023: 47 couriers arrested.
In 2023: 20 criminal investigations initiated targeting cocaine importation and the recruitment of port workers, as well as large-scale theft.

More facts and figures Less facts and figures

Partners

Tax and Customs Administration

The Tax and Customs Administration combats undermining crime by collaborating with other organizations.

belastingdienst.nl

Customs

Customs works towards a financially healthy Netherlands and a safe Europe. Customs officers intercept unsafe and unwanted goods at the external border of the European Union and contribute to a strong economy by combating unfair competition, among other things.

overdedouane.nl

The municipality of Borsele

The municipality of Borsele combines the tranquility and spaciousness of a Landscape Park with the dynamism of an international seaport. Together with partners, we work to ensure that everyone can work and do business here safely.

borsele.nl

The municipality of Moerdijk

The municipality of Moerdijk has over 37,000 inhabitants and 11 residential areas, ranging from Willemstad to Zevenbergschen Hoek, and is home to the 4th largest seaport in the Netherlands.

moerdijk.nl

The municipality of Terneuzen

In the municipality of Terneuzen, the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal is located, with the North Sea locks serving as the gateway for sea and inland shipping. The Canal Zone is primarily home to industry and logistics.

terneuzen.nl

The municipality of Vlissingen

The Vlissingen part of the seaport area focuses mainly on ship repair, offshore wind, processing, handling, and transshipment of fruit, transportation of goods, and related services.

vlissingen.nl/vlissingen-oost

Royal Netherlands Marechaussee

The Marechaussee has three main tasks: border policing, guarding and security, and international and military police tasks.

marechaussee.nl

North Sea Port

North Sea Port is a 60-kilometer-long cross-border port area stretching from Vlissingen to Gent.

northseaport.com

Public Prosecution Service

The Public Prosecution Service ensures that criminal offenses are detected and prosecuted. To achieve this, collaboration takes place with the police and other enforcement agencies.

om.nl

Police

The police work on ensuring safe and resilient sea ports by strengthening legitimate businesses, addressing illegitimate businesses, and disrupting (smuggling) networks.

politie.nl

Port of Moerdijk

Port of Moerdijk receives 3,000 trains, 12,000 inland vessels, and 2,000 seagoing vessels annually. Approximately 400 organizations are active in an area of 2,635 hectares.

portofmoerdijk.nl