The murder of a 44-year-old official demonstrating this new threshold of violence not only sho‌cked the public but also the entire judicial system.For the first time in Dutch history, the criminal gang murdered a legal representative of the State.

This is the Netherlands in 2019, not Sicily in 1992, but the as‌sassination of a devoted servant like Wiersum proves the increasingly raging gangs in Amsterdam. "The Netherlands is in danger of becoming a nation of drug criminals," warns Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Ferdinand Grapperhaus in August 1919.

Grenade on the door handle

Amsterdam - with a population of less than 1 million, is a relatively wealthy community. But recently, on narrow cobblestone streets and along small canals, there have been some intentional murders in the middle of the day on the rooftop of cafes, in restaurants or tourist destinations. calendar in the bustling city center. In the past 7 years, there have been at least 50 murders directly related to criminal networks in Amsterdam.

Even without the sound of a gunshot, threats exist: hand grenades left in front of hotel doors, or hanging on the door handles of bars or drug paraphernalia. This year alone, police have recorded 15 hand grenade detection cases, almost 3 times more than last year.

Three and a half years ago, there was an even more horrible warning when a human head was left in front of the shisha smoking hall, where gangsters often frequented. At that time in March 2016, local gangs were thought to imitate the brutality of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) army.

Crime networks in Amsterdam often dislike the press, typically two direct attacks on newspaper agencies last June. For the first time, a rocket launcher was fired at the Panorama magazine window, after which a member of the Caloh Wagoh motorbike gang, the Main Triad, was arrested. In the second incident, a truck crashed into De Telegraaf’s headquarters building and caught fire.

From a holistic perspective, the picture is even worse. According to the "Underworld of Amsterdam" report, conducted by Mayor Femke Halsema, the city is a financial center where the criminal world is intertwined with legal businesses and businesses. "The Dutch government has completely missed the transition from a country of use to drug production," said journalist Jan Tromp, one of the authors of the report.

"Global leader" in ecstasy production

This trend should have been foreseen for a country that is an international trading center like the Netherlands. According to official data, it is estimated that Amsterdam produces "an oven" of ecstasy worth 18.8 billion euros annually. A single tablet produces only 17 cents but is sold for $ 15-25, so the profit margin is very large, the transaction is also very large and almost globalized immediately. 

In the "Underworld of Amsterdam" report, the "capital" of drugs in the Netherlands originated in the southern towns near the border with Belgium. It is an area that the government pays little attention to so cannabis production is quickly becoming a business opportunity, especially for the poor. They have discovered just how terrific cannabis can be. It is easy to rent a warehouse, install heat lamps and plant cannabis seeds. This process is gradually professionalized without taking much time.

Rotterdam, the Netherlands where 14 million containers are transshipped every year, and only 0.6% of them are inspected

Now referring to drugs, the Netherlands is the world’s No. 1 in ecstasy and speed production. The location, infrastructure, transactional advantages, and the political and legal system make the Netherlands an ideal destination for this illegal trade. "Grass plantations" and chemical laboratories appear everywhere around the countryside and the government fears this is too big a problem to solve. 

The drug smuggling line goes through Amsterdam easily because it is a center for marijuana transactions, distribution of drugs, ecstasy, cocaine. From the Netherlands, drugs are redistributed throughout Europe. But in fact, most cocaine never even sets foot in Amsterdam because they only stop at the port of Antwerp, a Belgian city right at the border or Rotterdam and shipped to the final destination.

Last year, the port of Rotterdam discovered about 21 tons of cocaine. This year, this figure has risen to about 31 tons. The situation was so severe that the Mayor of Rotterdam recently went to Colombia to see if stopping at the departure point could be done more effectively, but it was also extremely difficult.

In the meantime, gang bosses became entrepreneurs, invested in real estate, opened various businesses and hotel businesses. With those investments, their activities were legalized and expanded. Therefore, Minister Grapperhaus acknowledged that he could no longer deny the severity of the problem and that the Netherlands was on its way to becoming a "drug nation".

The risk is out of control

When Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Ferdinand Grapperhaus acknowledged the Dutch risk of becoming a "drug nation" in August, he faced the facts he wanted to avoid. Just a year ago, when police forces produced similar results to the "Underworld in Amsterdam" report, Mr. Grapperhaus vehemently denied the seriousness of the situation. Meanwhile, police have complained that they are overloaded and unable to keep up with the huge international criminal networks operating there, the Dutch authorities’ handling of drug cases is only high. 1/10 ratio.

Amsterdam today flourishes as the Hawala bank - an informal money transfer system popular in the Middle East and South Asia, in which the amount of cash is transferred from one person to another in a way that leaves almost no trace. . With trackable amounts, one-third of the unusual financial activity in the Netherlands takes place in Amsterdam. Even soaring Amsterdam real estate prices can be due to the impact of criminals investing in the city’s real estate market.

National police chief Erik Akerboom in an interview earlier this month in the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant said it would not be possible to maintain a legal system without being willing to pay for it. Just 4 years ago, the Netherlands reduced its staff by 25% of the police. After the murder of lawyer Wiersum, Minister Grapperhaus suddenly called for the recruitment of 1,000 new officers and a specialized anti-drug team, but it was impossible for the police.