Netherlands National Drug Monitor - Research and Documentation ...

Table 9.1 Criminal investigations into more serious forms of organised crime, drug law crime and
hard and soft drugs, 2000-2008 I
2000 2001 2002 * 2003 2004 * 2005 * 2006 2007 2008
Total number of
investigations
148 146 185 … 221 289 … 176 … 333 328 352
- % targeting drugs 53% 62% 63% … 66% 69% … 72% … 75% 72% 70%
Number of investigations
targeting drugs
78 90 117 … 146 200 … 127 … 250 235 247
- % involving hard drugs 82% 83% 83% … 83% 84% … 85% … 79% 83% 76%
- % involving soft drugs 55% 41% 45% … 39% 27% … 41% … 60% 67% 65%
- % involving only hard
drugs
- % involving only soft
drugs
- % involving hard and
soft drugs
Number of investigations
involving hard drugs
45% 59% 55% … 61% 69% … 59% … 40% 36% 35%
18% 17% 17% … 17% 11% … 15% … 21% 20% 24%
37% 24% 28% … 22% 16% … 26% … 39% 47% 41%
64 75 97 … 121 168 … 108 … 198 194 188
- % cocaine … 60% 57% … 54% … 68% 77% 76%
- % synthetic drugs … 54% 39% … 44% … 43% 40% 46%
- % heroin … 17% 18% … 29% … 29% 20% 22%
I A single investigation may involve trafficking in or production of several types of drug. Percentages
therefore do not add up to 100%. * Refers to breaks with trend (between 2002 and 2003, between 2004
and 2005 and between 2005 and 2006) as a result of changed registration methods. Source: KLPD/DNRI,
Research and Analysis Group.
• In 2007 and 2008, the bulk of criminal investigations was aimed at criminal organisations
involved trafficking in or production of drugs 72% and 70% respectively). This
is somewhat lower than in 2006.
• As in previous years, the majority of these cases involved hard drugs (also), although
there was a slight drop in 2008. The main drug involved is cocaine, which has been
the case for years. This is followed by synthetic drugs (production and trafficking)
and then heroin (trafficking). Cocaine accounts for an increasingly greater share of
investigations (three-quarters of all cases in recent years). Investigations into synthetic
drugs rose (again) in 2008, whereas heroin-related cases initially rose for a number of
years but have more recently declined.
• Two-thirds of investigations 67% in 2007 and 65% in 2008 concern criminal organisations
that are (also) involved in soft drugs. This percentage rose between 2006
and 2007 but declined again somewhat in 2008. However, there has been a rise in
the number of cases involving only soft drugs. The majority of these concern criminal
organisations that are (also) involved in the cultivation of Dutch-grown weed. A
minority of cases involves hashish and marijuana (not in table).
198 Netherlands National Drug Monitor - NDM Annual Report 2009