National Threat Assessment 2008. Organised Crime - Politie

Criminals often look for a remote location, such as a farm, for example.
Apart from a few exceptions, the production locations were found in the west
of the Netherlands, and especially in the south of the country as well. Production
locations were found in both urban and rural areas. Amphetamine is almost
only produced in North Brabant. A few very big production locations were
dismantled in 2006.
After a location has been found, converted to make it suitable and production
equipment has been transferred, production can start. The knowledge required
for this purpose is present in criminal circles. Tabletting is usually done by
specialists. In 2006 the production process was split up more often than had
previously been the case, which means that synthesis, crystallisation and
tabletting were all performed at different locations, probably in order to spread
the risk. Compared to previous years, more mobile laboratories and mobile
tabletting facilities have been found since 2005. No two production facilities
are the same. The differences are mainly in the set-up of the hardware and
the amount and type of hardware. This leads to huge differences in the level
of professionalism and production capacity.
Whenever synthetic drugs are produced, a lot of waste materials are generated
which the producers will have to dispose of at some point. There are a number
of different ways to do so. For example, in recent years (stolen) lorries have
been used, which were loaded up with waste materials and left behind on
abandoned sites. In a few cases the lorry was set on fire. Other groups dumped
their waste materials in built-up areas, on the roadside, in the countryside
or in surface water.
Foreign dealers who purchase the drugs in the Netherlands mostly use one
of two methods to finalise the transaction. The most popular method seems to
be bartering, whereby the drugs are obtained by exchanging them for another
(illegal) product. These other products are often other (hard) drugs or weapons.
Whenever bartering is not possible, the transaction is usually in cash.
International drug transport can take place directly, be divided into various
stages or run via a diverted route. There are an unlimited number of transport
concealment techniques. In addition, goods can be transported without
documentation, which means that the load is not manifested and can be
removed by logistics staff who are aware of its existence. These logistics staff
may be container planners, platform assistants, baggage hold assistants or
catering assistants, for example.
Special attention should be paid to road transport as a replacement for air
transport, which is emerging in the EU, and transport via consolidated cargo
(Consol), which is carried out by air. In the case of road transport (replacing air
transport), there are various possibilities to manipulate the load. In the case of
44 National Threat Assessment 2008 – Organised crime