Dutch Customs discovered 18 kilograms of cocaine inside the luggage of an airline crew member at Schiphol on Tuesday. The drugs were found during a routine customs check. The crew member was arrested by Customs.
The crew member had three pieces of hand luggage checked by customs officers. A scan of the luggage showed irregularities, after which customs officers conducted a further inspection.
Customs says officers were conducting a regular check of crew members and their luggage. They scanned the three pieces of hand luggage belonging to the suspect, saw that the contents appeared abnormal, and then conducted a physical inspection. They found 18 packages containing cocaine, weighing 18 kilograms in total. The cocaine was seized and has since been destroyed.
The drugs were discovered during a control of a flight from Mexico arriving at Schiphol. Customs has not publicly identified the specific flight or Mexican airport. It is also not currently clear which airline the crew member worked for.
After the arrest, the case was transferred to the Schiphol Drugs Team of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. The Drugs Team is now conducting the criminal investigation under the supervision of the Noord-Holland Public Prosecution Service.
Separately, one pilot and two flight attendants were caught on Thursday morning with alcohol levels that were above the legal limit for flying. The three were discovered during random testing of 669 cockpit and cabin crew members, police said.
One flight attendant was allowed to admit guilt in exchange for a fine of 425 euros. Their breath test showed an alcohol level of 130 micrograms per liter, or 0.3 per mille, police said. Another flight attendant agreed to a 275-euro fine after blowing 110 micrograms per liter, equal to 0.25 per mille.
“A pilot also tested positive for alcohol, however, the result was not high enough for a fine to be imposed. Due to the result, he was issued a 1.5-hour flight ban. Aircraft personnel are not permitted to consume alcohol for ten hours prior to a flight,” police said.
https://nltimes.nl/2026/10/01/flight-crew-member-caught-smuggling-18-kg-cocaine-schiphol-airport