National Threat Assessment 2008. Organised Crime - Politie

Independent professional growers
Apart from independent home growers, there are also independent professional
growers. Independent professional growers have large numbers of cannabis
plants spread over several nurseries. Due to the size of the nurseries, independent
professional growers are no longer able to do all the work themselves. Due to the
large scale a certain level of organisation is required. To take care of the cannabis
plants and/or to run several nurseries at the same time, the growers consequently
call in helpers, many of whom are relatives, friends or acquaintances.
Operators
Operators focus on running several nurseries in areas that belong to other
people. The person renting out the room may be involved in the criminal process
or may be renting out the room in good faith. Lease contracts are often entered
into using fake documents and false names. A financial arrangement is agreed
with the owners, such as a percentage of the proceeds in addition to paying the
rent or mortgage. This allows the operators to transfer the risks to the owners
of the growing areas. Operators cultivate on a large scale. They take care of the
growing set-up and the growing process and they organise the harvest. The
actual implementation is done by the supervisors, who are growers recruited
to monitor the entire process on site. Furthermore, operators often have fixed
addresses where they sell the Nederweed. They can keep most of the proceeds
of the harvest. These operators are well known as ‘commercial guys’, because
they focus on maximum production and yield from Nederweed and are not
interested in its quality. The cannabis plants are often harvested before they are
in full bloom, which results in inferior quality, and less care is taken with the use
of pesticides and growth supplements.
Apart from the nurseries the operators often run one or more grow shops.
A significant part of cannabis cultivation and the weed trade is facilitated by
grow shops. Grow shop owners use a range of intermediaries and dealers,
such as coffee shop owners and foreign buyers. They act as a pivot to criminal
organisations. Most grow shop owners have criminal records. Research has
shown that only 29% of grow shop owners are not listed in police records.
Operators have national and international business contacts, which is how they
sell Nederweed on a large scale. A turnover of 100 to 200 kg per week is not
unusual. The key figures with contacts in the Netherlands and abroad are not
only active in cannabis cultivation and the cannabis trade; they often have a
wider field of work and are also involved in other criminal activities. Criminal
investigations have shown their involvement in handling stolen goods, theft and
burglary, as well as in more serious offences such as producing, trafficking and
smuggling hard drugs, trading in and smuggling firearms, VAT fraud, forgery
of documents, mortgage fraud, identity fraud and human trafficking.
chapter 2 – Illegal markets
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