National Threat Assessment 2008. Organised Crime - Politie

People can also be the victims of involuntary consumption. Some people, for
example, were sexually abused after they had been given GHB without them
noticing. Production poses physical dangers to laboratory workers, the people
living near to the production locations and dumping sites, and to people
involved in the dismantling of these locations and the removal of waste
materials, chemicals and hardware. There is also a constant risk that conflicts –
which can occur when organising synthetic drugs crime – will escalate into
violence. In the 2005 to 2006 research period seven people (five of whom were
Chinese) were liquidated in the Netherlands in connection with such conflicts.
There were also two attempted liquidations. In addition, people were held
hostage in one case and there were probably several other cases of abuse
as well. Most of the incidents involving violence occurred in the regional police
forces North Brabant and Limburg.
The harm to economic sectors is twofold. On the one hand, economic sectors
in which some companies have (unintentionally) collaborated with illegal buyers
in the organisation of synthetic drugs crime suffer damage to their reputation.
This mainly applies to the companies that supply hardware and chemicals, rental
companies, transport companies and financial institutions. On the other hand,
it also leads to unfair competition because bona fide companies are priced out of
the market by companies involved in drug trafficking, which do not have to make
a profit. These companies that are involved in drug trafficking exist thanks to
criminal proceeds and are able to sell cover loads below the cost price. Finally,
Dutch society as a whole is also harmed. The living environment is harmed as a
result of the dumping of chemical waste. Costs are also incurred to dispose of
seized substances and to clean up dumping sites. In addition, the government
loses income, as import duty is evaded when legal chemicals are smuggled into
the Netherlands. Costs are also incurred due to the healthcare and addiction care
provided to users. The extent to which society as a whole is harmed is unknown,
as is the extent of the loss of reputation suffered by the Netherlands.
The harm suffered as a result of the production of synthetic drugs is greater
in the Netherlands than abroad, whilst the harm due to consumption of
synthetic drugs is greater in some other countries than in the Netherlands.
The harm suffered as a result of doping substances mainly relates to the
consumers. The use of these performance enhancing substances is risky,
as people usually use without medical guidance and they are at risk of taking
excessive doses and dangerous combinations. The risks involved in the use
of falsified products are even greater than in non-medical use of original
branded articles.
52 National Threat Assessment 2008 – Organised crime