National Threat Assessment 2008. Organised Crime - Politie

organisations have access to one or more legitimate companies via their core
members. The current administrative instruments available to the government
to prevent criminals from using companies and other legal entities are up to
this moment incapable to prevent this practice. The Monitoring of Legal Entities
(Revision) Act, which is to be introduced in the near future, can perhaps change
this situation. As yet, the misuse of companies and other legal entities appears
to determine criminal operations to such an extent that it can be viewed as
a necessary condition for their existence.
7.3 Technological developments
Society nowadays is dominated more and more by technology and its
applications. This also applies to (organised) crime and the fight against it. Many
of the reports on which this NTA is based refer to technology and technological
developments in one way or another. This may be relatively simple technology,
such as domestic security systems, but it can also be complex digital technology
that is used for skimming and to forge documents. A few examples will be
discussed here.
Cloning and growing techniques
In cannabis growing both the average yield from the plants and the THC
content have increased sharply in recent years due to the use of advanced
cloning and growing techniques, some of which come from regular agriculture
and horticulture. Also technological innovations are used to light cannabis
nurseries. LEDs are considerably more energy-efficient with the same level
of lighting. An additional benefit for growers is that energy peaks hardly ever
occur anymore and abuse is more difficult to detect.
Cocaine-washing facilities
Impregnating all kinds of materials with cocaine is a development that
requires the availability of techniques to remove the cocaine from the material
afterwards. This has led to the relatively new phenomenon of cocaine washing
facilities (see section 6.5).
Immobilisers
Car theft and the fight against it exemplifies how technological development
can result in a race. Criminal organisations that commit car theft study new
security methods so countermeasures can be taken. Immobilisers have
resulted in a spectacular drop in the number of stolen cars, but the downside
is that the (organised car theft) market is now controlled by highly specialised
236 National Threat Assessment 2008 – Organised crime