Antwerp Police issued 133 administrative fines for littering and illegal waste dumping during a large-scale enforcement operation on 8 October 2026. The joint action by the City of Antwerp and Antwerp Police Zone also resulted in nine reports for drug possession and 200 traffic offences.
The operation targeted known littering and illegal dumping hotspots across the city as part of Enforcement Week. Police officers and municipal enforcement teams patrolled the locations in uniform and plain clothes.
Police checked 525 people and 160 vehicles. The 133 administrative reports covered offences including discarding cigarette butts and drinks cans, leaving rubbish and refuse bags in public spaces, illegal dumping and public urination.
One drug dealer and a bicycle thief were caught in the act. Police also recorded one positive breathalyser test, resulting in the driver’s licence being withdrawn immediately for 15 days.
Illegal dumping cases double since 2020
The operation forms part of the city’s ongoing efforts to tackle waste-related offences through prevention, camera surveillance, investigations, enforcement and rapid clean-up. Antwerp organises targeted large-scale operations every month to increase the likelihood of offenders being caught.
In 2025, the city registered approximately 12,200 administrative cases relating to cleanliness. Of these, 4,242 concerned illegal dumping, compared with 2,105 in 2020.
“We still see far too many people with a real filthy mindset,” said Antwerp Mayor Els van Doesburg (N-VA). “Anyone who leaves rubbish behind is antisocial and shows no respect for our city, our employees or the many street volunteers. Those who refuse to listen will have to feel it in their wallets.”
City Cleaning Alderman Ken Casier (N-VA) said municipal cleaning crews worked every day to keep Antwerp clean, but that enforcement was essential to tackling the problem.
“As long as people simply leave their rubbish on the street, it is like mopping the floor while the tap is still running,” he said. “The cleanest street is not the one our cleaning service visits most often, but the one where leaving rubbish behind is socially unacceptable.”
Casier stressed the importance of cooperation between the city’s cleaning services, police and municipal enforcement teams. “We clean up, they take action against offenders. Only by joining forces can we really keep Antwerp clean,” he said.
