ANPLocal residents look at the devastation at the site where an explosion took place
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 19:31
Residents of the flat in Rotterdam that caught fire and was disrupted by a large explosion on Monday are not surprised that a drug lab may be the cause of the havoc. This is what six local residents told NOS. “It wasn’t pure coffee, everyone knew that,” said a woman who lives nearby. “The Maseratis and Ferraris drove back and forth.”
Police said last night that several paraphernalia that could be used in the production of drugs had been found. The fire left three people dead and dozens of homes damaged.
People slept at night in the garage where the explosion occurred, the local resident said. “There was scum walking around, 24 hours a day.” The woman, like most other local residents, wants to remain anonymous.
Another local resident says that he already had a suspicion about the cause of the explosion. “The first thing we said is: drug lab,” he says. “There are a lot of children here in the neighborhood. The fact that you do something like this in a children’s neighborhood is simply scandalous.”
Reports to the police and municipality
Local residents have reported the incident to the municipality, the police and the housing association, six of them told NOS. A week before the explosion, a report was made about an acetone smell. The fire brigade then took measurements, but found nothing. According to the police, that is the only report they are aware of.
The housing association, which owns homes opposite the garage, says it has not received any reports. NOS has not yet received a response from the municipality.
Rotterdam citizen arrested
A 34-year-old Rotterdam resident has been arrested. He is suspected of making drugs, the police announced yesterday. Sources report that he is the tenant of the building. He was also the uncle of one of the three people who died.
The suspect was also one of the people who broke through the barrier two days after the disaster, Rijnmond reports. He retrieved the remains of one of the victims from the rubble.
Jerrycans with acetone
Earlier this week, journalists saw jerry cans containing acetone and hydrochloric acid being recovered from the rubble. These substances can be used in the production of drugs.
The police saw a sharp increase in the number of drug labs busted last year. More than 120 production sites for synthetic drugs were found, a third more than last year. The number of crystal meth labs was particularly striking.
2024-02-04 18:31:32
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