The Netherlands Drug Situation 2010 - Trimbos-instituut

amounts, which are considered as meant for own use, police dismissal or prosecutionaimed at diversion to care can follow (see above). The drug will be seized. But ifsomeone possesses more of a drug than the small amount that is considered ‘for ownuse’ – and which might be meant for dealing - or if there is also another, more seriousoffence involved, arrest and prosecution are the rule. The available data do notallow a distinction between quantities.In cases of soft drugs, 70% concerns production or trafficking and 30% possession.In cases of hard drugs, the fractions are different: 51% concerns production or traffickingand almost the same fraction (49%) concerns possession of hard drugs (not intable).Table 9.1.3: Opium Act cases registered by the Public Prosecutor by drug type (hardsoft),2002-2009 I,II2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009Hard drugs 9,502 10,307 11,972 9,922 9,909 9,471 9,083 7,426Soft drugs 6,613 7,283 9,248 9,497 9,543 9,197 9,040 8,920Hard and soft 455 612 695 716 822 678 671 632Other/unknown 47 31 32 60 35 53 55 54Total 16,617 18,233 21,947 20,195 20,309 19,399 18,849 17,032Hard drugs 57% 57% 55% 49% 49% 49% 48% 44%Soft drugs 40% 40% 42% 47% 47% 47% 48% 52%Hard and soft 3% 3% 3% 4% 4% 3% 4% 4%Other/unknown 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%TotalI 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 99% 100% 100%% drug related oftotal number of7% 7% 8% 8% 8% 7% 7% 7%casesI. More than one case may be recorded per suspect; percentages do not always add up to 100. II. Due tochanges in information systems and underlying databases, the data for 2009 have a preliminary character.Source: OMDATA, WODC, 2010.Decisions made by Public Prosecutor in Opium Act cases (table 9.1.4)In general, a trend becomes visible of a declining proportion of submissions to court andan increase in transactions by the Public Prosecutor. The majority of cases, though, stillare submitted to court. The trend is clearest in cases with soft drugs: the proportion ofcases submitted to court decreased from 63% in 2008 to 58% in 2009 (not in table).Cases with hard drugs or with a combination of hard and soft drugs stayed more or lessconstant in this respect. However, the proportion of hard drug cases submitted to court is higher than that ofsoft drugs cases (67% against 58%). If both hard and soft drugs are involved, thechance of being submitted to court is highest (81%; not in table). Transactions include communitiy service orders by the Public Prosecution and financialtransactions. The median amount of money in financial transactions of the PublicProsecutor fluctuates between 220 and 270 euros; 2009 appears to be no exception(250 euros; not in table).124