National Threat Assessment 2008. Organised Crime - Politie

other than BMK and PMK are increasingly only available to order outside the
Netherlands. As a result, increasing amounts of substances such as acetone
or formic acid are being smuggled.
Figures relating to seizures of synthetic drugs are greatly affected by incidental
major seizures, which makes it difficult to determine trends. After the record
low of 2005 (1.8 million tablets) the amount of ecstasy tablets seized in the
Netherlands increased once again in 2006 (4.1 million). In the first six months
of 2007 the number of tablets seized increased even further (5 million). These
figures do not include the semi-finished products found in the Netherlands
(MDMA powder) and the seizures abroad that can be linked to the Netherlands.
Every year the largest amounts of amphetamine powder are intercepted in the
Netherlands. Shipments of amphetamine powder are mainly seized abroad in
countries with the largest sales markets: the UK, Germany (also as a transit
country) and Scandinavia. In 2005 more amphetamine powder was seized than
before. The seizures in 2006 were once again in line with the preceding period
between 1999 and 2004. In the first half of 2007 more amphetamine powder
was seized once again.
Production locations
In the 2004–2006 period 70 production locations were dismantled in the
Netherlands: 29 in 2004, 18 in 2005 and 23 in 2006. It is striking that the
production locations found in 2006 had a larger capacity than in previous
years. Producers appear to be focusing on laboratories with a higher
production capacity.
Since 2005 the number of reports of ecstasy production on continents other
than Europe has been increasing. Canada in particular has apparently acquired
an important position. Ecstasy is currently also produced in Australia. Apart from
the Netherlands and Belgium, several amphetamine production locations are
found in Poland and the Baltic States every year. The expertise required
sometimes comes from the Netherlands. It is known that Lithuanians and
Poles have received explanations from Dutch producers in the Netherlands
about the production process and the production hardware.
Waste dumping
In the 1999 to 2004 period a drop in the number of cases of dumping and
the amount dumped each time was observed (except for 2001). This downward
trend continued in 2005 and 2006, with 51 and 42 cases of dumping
respectively. In the first half of 2007 a total of 26 cases of dumping were
discovered. In Belgium 12 cases of dumping were discovered in 2006, especially
in Flanders in the Turnhout region where the waste may have come from the
south of the Netherlands.
46 National Threat Assessment 2008 – Organised crime