Does The Netherlands Have a Drugs Problem?

In 2019, almost one quarter of the Dutch population aged 15 years and over reported an incident of drug trafficking or use in their own neighbourhood. Roughly 4% of these people claimed that this was a great nuisance. This is particularly true for the people of frontline team regions in large cities as these people are more likely to suffer from the drug-related nuisance.

In this article, we will take a deeper dive into the drug problems in the Netherlands. Read on to find out more…

How is the Netherlands Becoming a Narco State?

There was a bloody shooting in a very quiet suburban neighbourhood of Amsterdam in the past September which has brought to light the ongoing increase of drug-related violent crimes in the Netherlands.

Derk Wiersum was killed in cold blood outside his house in broad daylight. This was an act that aimed to frighten, shock, and intimidate the local people and the local police. Coincidentally, only one month before this terrible attack, Ferdinand Grapperhaus who is the Dutch Minister of Justice and Security made a public statement about the Netherlands being at risk of turning into a narco state.

What is a narco state, you may be wondering? A narco state is defined as a country where the economy is highly dependent on trading of illegal drugs. Although the economy in the Netherlands isn’t currently ruled by the illegal drug industry, the industry is a very illicit market that is having increasing influences on the people of the Netherlands. The country is described as being a central hub in the world’s drug market. This is due to the fact that there are a lot of transit ports, plus a large amount of synthetic drugs are being made in the area. These drugs are then being distributed all over the globe.

The murder of Wiersum has marked the very first time in the Netherland’s history that criminals have killed a legal representative for the country. This lawyer was fighting a case for Nabil B who was an important witness in a case against two of the most dangerous and wanted criminals in the Netherlands. Ridouan Taghi was taken into custody while attempting entry to Dubai and he was held there by an warrant for both drug trafficking and for murder. The organisation that he leads is known as the ’Angels of Death’. These are connected to nine murders including the Derk Wiersum assassination. This arrest was seen as a big success. However, there is now a lot of doubts among citizens that this will stop young adults form wanting to do the same sorts of dangerous things.

How Big is The Dutch Drug Problem?

The Netherlands is the perfect environment for the drugs trade to do well in. It has an extensive transport network, lenient drug laws or penalties, and it is close to a number of lucrative markets. This makes it the perfect place for worldwide narcotics to flow.

The renowned writer, Roberto Saviano, was someone who chronicled the organised crime world of the Naples Camorra network. He believes that the mafia influence in Amsterdam is even worse. He says that there are clans from all around the world. This is because the Netherlands is one of the most important transit ports for the drug industry.

There are billions and billions of euros that are being made on the black market. In 2017, there was 18 billion euros worth of synthetic drugs that were produced in the Netherlands alone.

Some soft drugs have been imported from places like North Africa and Columbia for around 30 years. Today though, there is a significant amount of synthetic drugs that are all produced in the Netherlands. These include things like LSD, MDMA, amphetamines, crystal meth, and GHB. The Netherlands is considered as the world leader of these synthetic drugs.

The police union chief, Jan Strujis has highlighted the alarming speed at which these drugs are being produced and transported around the world. It was claimed that on the day Donald Trump became president, the very first distinctive orange ‘Trumpies’ ecstasy pills were found in Schiphol. Within just 24 hours, these were then on sale in Australia.

It is claimed that there are many Mexicans who are helping to produce crystal meth within the Netherlands. You can see very low prices for these drugs in many areas. Every gram of these drugs that is purchase is fuelling the organised crimes and drug cartels that produce and distribute the drugs.

Drug Use and Trafficking in Bordering Regions

It has been found that residents of regions that are bordering with Germany and Belgium are more likely than average to experience some encounter of drug dealing or drug use. Shockingly, half of the inhabitants in the frontline team region of Kerkade claim that drug dealing, drug trafficking, and drug use occur in their neighbourhood.

This is a clear indicator of just how prevalent the drug world is in the Netherlands. With more and more demand for drugs and more and more drugs being produced, the Netherlands drug problem is very quickly getting out of control.

Amsterdam is seen as the most nuisance in terms of drugs. This is where drug trafficking and drug use is most prevalent. Residents here are likely to experience a lot of nuisance. With Amsterdam being a popular tourist location, particularly when it comes to young people, it’s easy to see how the drug problem is becoming worse.

Get Help For Your Addiction to Drugs Today

Are you struggling with an addiction to drugs? If so, it’s important that you realise that you are not alone and that there is help out there for you. No matter what kind of drug you’re addicted to and how severe your addiction may seem, there is hope. There are people all over the world who are recovering from severe addictions everyday with the help of rehab.

If you are ready to make a change and want to recover from your drug addiction, get in touch with us today. We are here to help you take those first steps towards a much better sober life.