Police bust scheme to truck loads of heroin to Netherlands for distribution
4 years, 10 months ago

Police bust scheme to truck loads of heroin to Netherlands for distribution

NL Times  

An international crime ring that imported thousands of kilograms of heroin to the Netherlands was broken up this week with the arrests of three people in Amsterdam and Dordrecht. It started back at the end of 2018, Dutch police said, when 300 kilograms of heroin was found in Genoa, Italy, destined for Roosendaal. Drugs were found hidden in shipments of confectionary sweet halva, police said, because "the specific weight of this product and of the heroin is the same; the suspects thought that they had found a good smuggling method." Months earlier, Spanish police arrested 17 people including Dutch-Turkish man Sadullah U., believed to be one of the largest heroin traffickers in Europe.

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History of this topic

Concerns over growing number of cocaine laundries in Netherlands
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Concerns over growing number of cocaine laundries in Netherlands

NL Times  

The authorities are finding more cocaine laundries in the Netherlands, ranging from smaller facilities in a home to laboratories on an industrial scale. “There are more, and the trend is that they are occasionally larger,” public prosecutor Martin van Nes told EenVandaag. “Completely logical, because that’s where the cocaine comes from,” Van Nes told EenVandaag. “It is precisely with these …

Dutch arrested in Spain for trade in cocaine soaked wood pellets
9 months ago

Dutch arrested in Spain for trade in cocaine soaked wood pellets

Dutch News  

Spanish police have arrested five members of a drugs gang, several Dutch nationals among them, during a raid in the Catalan city of Reus on Sunday, Spanish media reported. The gang, whose members come from Albania, Lithuania and the Netherlands, had hit upon a “very sophisticated method” to hide the drugs by impregnating 16 tonnes of wood pellets used as …

Colombians among 10 arrested at cocaine processing plant near German border
1 year, 1 month ago

Colombians among 10 arrested at cocaine processing plant near German border

NL Times  

Ten suspects were arrested on Wednesday at a cocaine processing plant in Overdinkel, as reported by sources close to the investigation to RTV Oost. The discovery of the cocaine laundry was made by police officers who responded to neighborhood complaints about strange odors in the area, the police reported on Wednesday. We doen op dit moment onderzoek in een pand …

Dutch suspect among eight held in €157 million cocaine bust in Ireland
1 year, 3 months ago

Dutch suspect among eight held in €157 million cocaine bust in Ireland

NL Times  

A 48-year-old Dutchman from The Hague was arrested in Ireland in connection with the country's largest drug seizure ever on a ship off the Irish coast. Over two tons of cocaine with a street value of over 150 million euros were discovered last Tuesday on the cargo ship MV Matthew. Eight men were arrested in total in connection to the …

€600 million cocaine shipment found at Rotterdam port; largest drug bust ever in NL
1 year, 5 months ago

€600 million cocaine shipment found at Rotterdam port; largest drug bust ever in NL

NL Times  

Customs officials in the port of Rotterdam made the largest drug bust ever in the Netherlands on Thursday. #HARC Lees hier verder:https://t.co/m9vuwC4ifZ pic.twitter.com/nbjzy4kwn1 — Openbaar Ministerie Rotterdam August 10, 2023 The container originated from Ecuador and arrived in Rotterdam via Panama. pic.twitter.com/FaxYDjwLyW — Douane August 10, 2023 Outgoing State Secretary of Financy Aukje de Vries praised the customs and their …

Ports in a storm: Europe wants common approach to drug smuggling
1 year, 7 months ago

Ports in a storm: Europe wants common approach to drug smuggling

Dutch News  

Containers of fruit shipped from South America are the biggest risk for cocaine smuggling to Europe, according to a coalition working to fight drug crime. “International criminal organisations have a number of ingenious systems and constructions to evade controls as much as possible,” said the Belgian home affairs ministry in a press release. “Key figures in important administrative and checking …

Ports in a storm: Europe wants common approach to drug smuggling
1 year, 7 months ago

Ports in a storm: Europe wants common approach to drug smuggling

Dutch News  

Containers of fruit shipped from South America are the biggest risk for cocaine smuggling to Europe, according to a coalition working to fight drug crime. “International criminal organisations have a number of ingenious systems and constructions to evade controls as much as possible,” said the Belgian home affairs ministry in a press release. “Key figures in important administrative and checking …

37-kg heroin seized in Fazilka, four arrested
1 year, 8 months ago

37-kg heroin seized in Fazilka, four arrested

Hindustan Times  

Fazilka police held four persons with 37 kg of heroin on Wednesday. “Following reliable inputs about the influx of large quantity of heroin from Rajasthan to Punjab, police teams from Fazilka district carried out the operation at Fazilka-Ferozepur road, near canal bridge in the area of village Lalo Wali. The Police have also recovered two sedan cars including a white …

Drug bust: police finds 4,000 kg of cocaine in Belgium, 9 Dutchmen arrested
1 year, 10 months ago

Drug bust: police finds 4,000 kg of cocaine in Belgium, 9 Dutchmen arrested

NL Times  

Of the ten men who were arrested in Belgium last Tuesday by the Belgian police in connection with a major drug discovery, nine have Dutch nationality. On Tuesday, Belgian police became aware of a suspicious situation in Steenweg in Ravels, near the Dutch border. The Dutch police reported on Friday that house searches followed Thursday, with four automatic firearms and …

Record cocaine seizures in Europe, but Latin American drug cartels continue to roil Netherlands, Belgium
2 years ago

Record cocaine seizures in Europe, but Latin American drug cartels continue to roil Netherlands, Belgium

LA Times  

Kris Verborgh, chief police inspector of the Marolles neighborhood of Brussels, holds a bag of crack cocaine on Monday. And with it comes unprecedented drug violence in Belgium and the Netherlands, whose ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam, respectively, have become the main gateways for Latin American cocaine cartels into the continent. Officials in Antwerp on Tuesday announced yet another annual …

€354 million in cocaine found at Rotterdam port; 34 arrested
2 years ago

€354 million in cocaine found at Rotterdam port; 34 arrested

NL Times  

In the period between the last days of 2022 and the first days of 2023, 34 people were arrested during checks in the port of Rotterdam and customs seized 4726 kilograms of cocaine. In the process, customs officers discovered 30 packages with a total of 1121 kilograms of cocaine in a container of frozen fruit juice from Brazil as well …

Video: Two leaders of Dutch-Belgian drug gang arrested in Spain
2 years, 4 months ago

Video: Two leaders of Dutch-Belgian drug gang arrested in Spain

NL Times  

The Spanish police arrested two alleged leaders of a Dutch-Belgian drug gang accused of importing nearly 4,000 kilograms of cocaine through ports in the Netherlands and Belgium. The Dutch and Belgian police arrested another seven suspects, Guardia Civil said. Detenidos en España dos capos del tráfico internacional de cocaína En Holanda y Bélgica se han practicado otros 8 registros y …

Three cocaine shipments worth €180 mil. intercepted at Rotterdam port
2 years, 4 months ago

Three cocaine shipments worth €180 mil. intercepted at Rotterdam port

NL Times  

Customs authorities intercepted a total of nearly 2,400 kilograms of cocaine in three different batches on Monday and Tuesday evening. The drugs carry a combined street value of over 180 million euros, the Public Prosecution Service said in separate statements released this week. Customs officers discovered 361 kilograms of cocaine in a container of peanuts sent from Argentina. Dutch authorities …

Dutch navy in the Caribbean seize over 4,500 kilos of drugs in one week
2 years, 4 months ago

Dutch navy in the Caribbean seize over 4,500 kilos of drugs in one week

NL Times  

The Dutch naval ship Zr. Ms. Groningen seized a massive 4,500 kilograms of drugs in three busts in the Caribbean this past week. They arrested five suspects and fished 550 kilograms of drugs - 450 kg cocaine and 100 kg marijuana - out of the water where the suspects dumped them when they saw the authorities approach. “When the suspects …

Three men living in the Netherlands arrested in Bavaria's largest ever drug bust
2 years, 5 months ago

Three men living in the Netherlands arrested in Bavaria's largest ever drug bust

NL Times  

Three men who reside in the Netherlands were arrested in Germany on allegations they were involved in smuggling more than a thousand kilograms of cocaine. It is the largest drug bust ever in the German state of Bavaria, the customs authorities in Munich reported Monday. The three suspects were arrested when they tried to remove the cocaine from the container …

Amsterdam cops stop cargo bike and find cannabis haul, €400,000
2 years, 7 months ago

Amsterdam cops stop cargo bike and find cannabis haul, €400,000

NL Times  

The Amsterdam police arrested two people suspected of drug trafficking and seized a large amount of cannabis and some 400,000 euros in cash on Friday, May 20. All this was made possible by one of the suspects skipping a red light on his cargo bike, the police said on Thursday. At around 11:30 a.m. on May 20, the police noticed …

Utrecht man suspected of trafficking 23,000 kg of cocaine arrested in Abu Dhabi
2 years, 7 months ago

Utrecht man suspected of trafficking 23,000 kg of cocaine arrested in Abu Dhabi

NL Times  

The police in Abu Dhabi arrested a 40-year-old man from Utrecht on Friday as part of an international drug trafficking investigation called 26Demer. He is suspected of trafficking over 23,000 kilograms of cocaine worth more than 600 million euros, the Public Prosecution Service announced. German customs officers intercepted the first batch of 16,174 kilos of cocaine in Hamburg on 12 …

Dutch truck driver convicted of smuggling €6 million of cocaine into UK
2 years, 9 months ago

Dutch truck driver convicted of smuggling €6 million of cocaine into UK

NL Times  

A Dutch truck driver has been convicted of attempting to smuggle 63 kilograms of cocaine into the United Kingdom on June 17 last year, according to the UK's National Crime Agency. The drugs were discovered when S. was stopped by British border guards at the Eurotunnel in Coquelles, France, near Calais, last summer. Inspectors found three cardboard boxes amid the …

"There's much we don't know," public prosecutor says about drug trade network
3 years, 1 month ago

"There's much we don't know," public prosecutor says about drug trade network

NL Times  

Public prosecutor Ernst Pols says authorities still have a lot to learn about criminal networks in the Netherlands. "What we don't know, we can't know, and there is much we don't know," Pols said in an interview with NU.nl, The Douane intercepted nearly three times as much cocaine in the port of Rotterdam this year as in 2018. In total, …

Police seize 1.5 tonnes of cocaine at Rotterdam port, hidden in cooking fat and pineapples
3 years, 2 months ago

Police seize 1.5 tonnes of cocaine at Rotterdam port, hidden in cooking fat and pineapples

Dutch News  

Police and customs officials have seized a further 1.5 tonnes of cocaine in two shipments at Rotterdam port in recent days. A week ago, 930 kilos of cocaine were found in a container from Curaçao hidden in used cooking fat. In September, European police organisation Europol said the increased use of shipping containers to conceal drugs had made the high …

Another 100 million euro cocaine bust made at the Rotterdam port
3 years, 3 months ago

Another 100 million euro cocaine bust made at the Rotterdam port

NL Times  

A shipment of cocaine worth over a hundred million euros was discovered at the Rotterdam port on Wednesday night. One of the largest-ever cocaine seizures at the Rotterdam port was found just 12 days ago in a shipment of wood sent from Suriname. Authorities found over 4,000 kilograms of the drug, which they valued at about 301 million euros. "We …

Netherlands the main hub for cocaine smuggling in Europe: Europol
3 years, 4 months ago

Netherlands the main hub for cocaine smuggling in Europe: Europol

NL Times  

The Netherlands and Belgium are now the main hubs for cocaine smuggling in Europe, with both countries supplanting Spain as the main entry point for the drug, European police organization Europol said in a report. "The epicenter of the cocaine market in Europe has moved north," Europol said, AD reports. Criminal organizations are taking advantage of the increased supply of …

White heroin resurfaces in Amsterdam seven years after fatal epidemic
3 years, 8 months ago

White heroin resurfaces in Amsterdam seven years after fatal epidemic

NL Times  

Police discovered between 10 and 15 kilograms of white heroin in a hidden compartment of a car in Amsterdam on Tuesday. On multiple occasions in the past, white heroin has been sold by drug dealers to mostly unsuspecting tourists as cocaine. In 2014, three British tourists and 17 further people were hospitalized after using white heroin they thought was cocaine. …

Authorities confiscate over 2,700 kilos of cocaine in six days in Rotterdam
3 years, 8 months ago

Authorities confiscate over 2,700 kilos of cocaine in six days in Rotterdam

NL Times  

Custom officials at the port of Rotterdam discovered 2,773 kilos of cocaine within a span of six days. The largest amount was found on Tuesday when officials uncovered 1,470 kilos of cocaine in a container filled with old cars and motors from the United States. Divers also revealed 50 kilos of cocaine in a crate tied under a cargo ship …

Police seize nearly a TON of cocaine with £76million street value hidden in shipment of bananas
3 years, 11 months ago

Police seize nearly a TON of cocaine with £76million street value hidden in shipment of bananas

Daily Mail  

Cocaine with a street value of £76 million has been seized after being found in a shipment of bananas at Southampton. The class A drugs were discovered by border officers within a shipping container onboard a ship during a routine inspection. The class A drugs were discovered by border officers within a shipping container onboard a ship during a routine …

Some 115,000 kilos of cocaine seized last year
3 years, 11 months ago

Some 115,000 kilos of cocaine seized last year

NL Times  

In total, authorities confiscated around 115 thousand kilos of cocaine destined for the Netherlands in the past year. Vlissingen is also an increasingly popular port for drug trafficking, with 6,055 kilos of cocaine seized there last year, compared to 3,008 kilos in 2019. Rotterdam prosecutor Ernst Pols attributes the increase to a combination of more cocaine being trafficked to the …

Eleven arrested in major drug trafficking bust
4 years, 1 month ago

Eleven arrested in major drug trafficking bust

NL Times  

The Dutch police arrested a total of 11 suspects last week on suspicion of involvement in the large-scale trade and import of narcotics via the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. The police examined various people and companies, mapping out networks of clients and facilitators in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. On Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 November, the police raided dozens of …

Man arrested for possession of 1.5 million euros and 82 kilograms of cocaine
4 years, 3 months ago

Man arrested for possession of 1.5 million euros and 82 kilograms of cocaine

NL Times  

Police in Breda arrested a 28-year-old man after officers discovered 1.5 million euros of cash and 82 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a secret compartment in his car. National division police made the traffic stop at about 4 p.m. when they saw the suspect’s car, which was towing a trailer with another vehicle on it. In that hidden space, the …

UK’s second largest heroin bust leads to three Dutch arrests
4 years, 3 months ago

UK’s second largest heroin bust leads to three Dutch arrests

NL Times  

Dutch, Belgian and British police officers teamed up to bust a drug smuggling operation that resulted in one of the largest heroin busts in UK history. Police arrested two men, 48 and 60, from The Hague as they were caught unloading clean bags of rice which had been put in the container instead of the concealed heroin. “As they were …

Leaders in global drug trafficking arrested in Amsterdam, Rotterdam
4 years, 6 months ago

Leaders in global drug trafficking arrested in Amsterdam, Rotterdam

NL Times  

Over the past month the Dutch police arrested at least two men suspected of playing major roles in global drug trafficking. On the day of the man's arrest, the police searched six locations in Amsterdam, Weesp and Lopik and seized two encrypted phones, administration, money, several expensive Rolex watches, a car, multiple properties, and bank accounts. On Tuesday last week, …

Cocaine seized in Antwerp behind Rotterdam shootings, explosion: report
4 years, 7 months ago

Cocaine seized in Antwerp behind Rotterdam shootings, explosion: report

NL Times  

A batch of 4,200 kilograms of cocaine seized by the Belgian police in the port of Antwerp last month, is the reason for multiple buildings being shot at and an explosion in Rotterdam over the past days, newspaper AD reports based on "multiple source within and outside the criminal environment". The Antwerp drug bust resulted in the arrest of 14 …

Police find €1.3 million in cocaine in Amsterdam parking garage bust
4 years, 7 months ago

Police find €1.3 million in cocaine in Amsterdam parking garage bust

NL Times  

Two men and a woman were arrested after 54 kilograms of cocaine was found in a vehicle in an Amsterdam parking garage. The three suspects were remanded into custody for two weeks while the investigation in the case continues, police said. Police received a call about a "suspicious situation around a vehicle," and then tailed the car to a garage …

Customs catches 250 kilograms of cocaine, arrest 8
4 years, 9 months ago

Customs catches 250 kilograms of cocaine, arrest 8

NL Times  

Customs officials monitoring the Rotterdam Port found five different batches of cocaine from Friday to Tuesday, the Public Prosecution Service said in separate statements. It started on March 13 when 20 kilograms was found hidden in the machinery of a refrigerated sea container filled with frozen chicken. The following day, officers found two more shipments of drugs hidden the same …

Three weekend busts uncover 775 kilograms of cocaine
5 years ago

Three weekend busts uncover 775 kilograms of cocaine

NL Times  

Customs officials in and around Rotterdam found a total of 775 kilograms of cocaine in three separate investigations. A batch of 170 kilograms of the drug was found on a ship this past weekend after the vessel's captain reported "that he saw people on his ship who were not part of the ship's crew," police said. Customs officials searched the …

Jalandhar sees almost three-fold rise in heroin seizure this year
5 years ago

Jalandhar sees almost three-fold rise in heroin seizure this year

Hindustan Times  

There was almost three-fold rise in seizure of heroin in Jalandhar as compared to the previous year recoveries. Jalandhar rural police have seized 37kg heroin, including 10kg from 16 foreign national smugglers, this year against 14kg heroin, including 6kg heroin from 10 international smugglers, in 2018. Local drug peddlers confessed to having bought these drugs, especially heroin, from Delhi to …

Dutch and Australian police smash major ecstasy gang, seize pills and chemicals
5 years, 1 month ago

Dutch and Australian police smash major ecstasy gang, seize pills and chemicals

Dutch News  

Dutch and Australian police have smashed a major drugs gang in a 10 month investigation which they say has prevented 15 million ecstasy pills making it to Australia. During those raids, police found drugs labs and 50 tonnes of chemicals which could be used to make some 15 million ecstasy pills, Dutch police said in a statement. The raids on …

Dutch and Australian police smash major ecstasy gang, seize pills and chemicals
5 years, 1 month ago

Dutch and Australian police smash major ecstasy gang, seize pills and chemicals

Dutch News  

Dutch and Australian police have smashed a major drugs gang in a 10 month investigation which they say has prevented 15 million ecstasy pills making it to Australia. During those raids, police found drugs labs and 50 tonnes of chemicals which could be used to make some 15 million ecstasy pills, Dutch police said in a statement. The raids on …

Police on course to seize record amount of cocaine in Rotterdam in 2019
5 years, 1 month ago

Police on course to seize record amount of cocaine in Rotterdam in 2019

Dutch News  

Police have intercepted a haul of 300 kilograms of cocaine at Rotterdam docks after receiving a tip-off. The Telegraaf reported that a record 23,000 kg of cocaine had been seized at the port this year, with an estimated street value of €1.2 bn. A customs officer identified only as ‘Peter’ told the Telegraaf he was concerned that extra customs personnel …

Police on course to seize record amount of cocaine in Rotterdam in 2019
5 years, 1 month ago

Police on course to seize record amount of cocaine in Rotterdam in 2019

Dutch News  

Police have intercepted a haul of 300 kilograms of cocaine at Rotterdam docks after receiving a tip-off. The Telegraaf reported that a record 23,000 kg of cocaine had been seized at the port this year, with an estimated street value of €1.2 bn. A customs officer identified only as ‘Peter’ told the Telegraaf he was concerned that extra customs personnel …

Cocaine seizures at the Port of Rotterdam skyrocket, already surpassing 2018 figures
5 years, 1 month ago

Cocaine seizures at the Port of Rotterdam skyrocket, already surpassing 2018 figures

NL Times  

Even with nearly two months left to go in the year, authorities at the Port of Rotterdam this year have already surpassed the record amount of cocaine caught there in 2018, according to an investigation by De Telegraaf. Some 23 thousand kilograms of cocaine was intercepted at the largest port in Europe, a 28 percent increase over the 18 thousand …

13 arrested in UK in British-Dutch drug ring bust
5 years, 3 months ago

13 arrested in UK in British-Dutch drug ring bust

NL Times  

The British police arrested 13 people on Friday in an investigation into drug trafficking from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom. The British and Dutch gang suspected of being behind this operation is believed to have smuggled over 50 tons of drugs from the Netherlands to the United Kingdom, AD reports. The British National Crime Agency believes this is the …

Four men arrested in Rotterdam after record-breaking heroin haul in UK
5 years, 4 months ago

Four men arrested in Rotterdam after record-breaking heroin haul in UK

Dutch News  

Four men have been arrested in Rotterdam after British police found 1.3 tonnes of heroin hidden on a container ship in Felixstowe harbour. ‘Upon arrival, officers moved in and arrested four people who were in the process of unloading the consignment,’ the British crime agency said in a statement. An NCA investigation has resulted in the largest ever seizure of …

UK’s biggest-ever heroin haul discovered on container ship
5 years, 4 months ago

UK’s biggest-ever heroin haul discovered on container ship

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Customs officials seize three tonnes of cocaine in Rotterdam
5 years, 4 months ago

Customs officials seize three tonnes of cocaine in Rotterdam

Dutch News  

Customs officials based in Rotterdam’s port have seized two consignments of cocaine this week, totalling almost three tonnes, the public prosecution department said in a statement. The second haul, on Tuesday night, involved 1,300 kilos of the drug hidden in a container with drums of banana pulp. The public prosecution department said in February that police and customs officials found …

Dutch 'heroin king' arrested in large Spanish drug bust
5 years, 6 months ago

Dutch 'heroin king' arrested in large Spanish drug bust

NL Times  

The Spanish police busted a large network of drug smugglers. A total of 17 people were arrested, including a 61-year-old Dutch-Turkish man described as the "heroin king". He had 7 kilograms of the drug hidden in his car when he was arrested in the Spanish city of Pontevedra. The Dutch man reportedly doesn't have a cell phone and basically lives …

Over 800 kilograms of cocaine intercepted at Rotterdam port
5 years, 6 months ago

Over 800 kilograms of cocaine intercepted at Rotterdam port

NL Times  

Customs officers seized over 800 kilograms of cocaine at the port of Rotterdam early in June, the Public Prosecutor announced on Sunday. A massive 720 kilos of the drug were discovered in a banana shipment on June 6th, and two smaller shipments totaling in 86 kilograms were discovered on June 4th. On June 4th customs officers discovered two batches of …

Some 187 kilos of coke found hidden in two flower shipments
5 years, 6 months ago

Some 187 kilos of coke found hidden in two flower shipments

NL Times  

An investigation into the discovery of cocaine hidden in a flower shipment in January led to a much larger drug bust in April. Ten people were taken into custody who worked for a logistics firm at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam after 160 kilograms of cocaine was found in another flower shipment. The discovery triggered a joint investigation between the Marechaussee, …

Four Dutch arrested for large-scale 'designer drug' trafficking
5 years, 6 months ago

Four Dutch arrested for large-scale 'designer drug' trafficking

NL Times  

Four Dutch persons were arrested in the Netherlands and Croatia last week as part of a major international investigation into large-scale drug trafficking, led by the German police. The Dutch are suspected of delivering psychoactive substances, popularly called designer drugs, to thousands of German buyers, the Dutch police said in a statement. A 1.5 year long German investigation led them …

Over a dozen guns seized after tipster calls police for help
5 years, 7 months ago

Over a dozen guns seized after tipster calls police for help

NL Times  

Police dispatched to the scene of a home on Troelstrastraat in Rotterdam found over a dozen guns, some cash, and also a small quantity of drugs and drug paraphernalia on Thursday night. A 26-year-old man from Rotterdam with minor facial lacerations was also taken into custody when he refused to identify himself, police said. Small quantities of cocaine, hashish, and …

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