:quality(80)/cdn-kiosk-api.telegraaf.nl/25600154-fd1d-11ea-ac97-02d1dbdc35d1.jpg "Explosive increase in drug labs: rapid growth of crystal meth | Inland")
The increase is evident from an analysis of the national police unit that has been provided to De Telegraaf and will be released this week. The increase is in line with the warning from the boss of the national police, Andy Kraag and drug portfolio holder of the national police, Max Daniel. in May in De Telegraaf. They then announced that the number of dismantled labs in which the devastating drug crystal meth is made is increasing sharply. They also warned of the growing influence of Mexican drug cartels in our country, after information about this from studies and tips.
Up to July 65 drug labs were discovered in the Netherlands. In the first six months of last year there were 40. Many drug labs were also dismantled after June. One of the most spectacular was the discovery of a large underground lab for crystal meth production in Montfort. The production site was spread over six linked sea containers and covered with a layer of dyke reinforcement clay. The location and entrance of the lab were completely protected.
Lightning-fast growth
One of the most striking changes in the synthetic drugs world in recent months has been the rapid growth in the number of meth labs. This year, 18 such labs have already been discovered. Double the number of last year. Meth yields considerably more than the production of ecstasy and amphetamine.
Mexicans were discovered in labs for the first time last year. More arrests of Mexicans followed this year. The pill farmers in the Netherlands seem to have switched effortlessly to the production of crystal meth and have been flying in knowledge from Mexico. There are also more and more cocaine laundries, where coke is extracted from goods with which it is mixed in source countries. For example, the drugs are washed out of clothes by a chemical process. Rather, the clothes were dipped in liquid coke.
EncroChat
At the beginning of July, the police announced that as a result of the investigation into EncroChat, 26Lemont, as many as 19 drug labs and 1,200 kilos of meth had been seized. By hacking the encrypted communication service EncroChat, investigative services were able to read live with criminals about their activities. After July, more labs were discovered and drugs seized by EncroChat. The provinces in which production is growing fastest are Noord-Holland, Gelderland, Noord-Brabant and Drenthe.
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The police found a drug lab in a shed on Noorderkreekweg in Lepelstraat.
Ⓒ Hollandse Heights / Novum Regio Photo
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The number of places where chemical waste from labs has been dumped has decreased compared to last year. So far, this involved 75 locations discovered. According to the police, more waste is discharged directly into nature and into wells and is therefore no longer found. More waste is also being dumped per location.
Billions of sales
The national police is now trying to map out the approximate turnover of all drug labs in the Netherlands, says portfolio holder Drugs of the National Police, Max Daniel. In 2018, the Police Academy calculated that at least 18.9 billion euros worth of ecstasy and amphetamine was produced in 2017. Now a new calculation is made, including the turnover of the methlabs and co-laundries.
Nail salons
Daniel says one of the tactics in fighting drug production is to control the flow of raw materials. Hundreds of thousands of liters of raw materials are needed every year to keep the labs running. “The cooperation with countries that are main suppliers, such as India and China, is not going optimally. In addition, the raw materials are usually legal. In the Netherlands, we mainly look at companies that buy a suspicious amount of raw materials. For example acetone by nail salons. That substance is used by coke laundries. Suspicious purchases can lead us to producers. ”
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