Officials in Antwerp seized 3.9 tonnes of cocaine last Monday and a further 4.8 tonnes last Wednesday, Belgian broadcaster VRT reports.

Kristian Vanderwaeren, head of Belgium’s customs department, said: “White Christmas — that’s the period when the white powder falls en masse from the sky, so to speak.

“Then it will be shipped en masse before the holidays. I expect spectacular catches from my people in the coming weeks.”

Around 90 tonnes of cocaine with a street value of roughly €6 billion was seized in Antwerp in 2021.

“The way things are going now, we are definitely heading for a record year this year,” Mr Vanderwaeren said.