Amsterdam task force to deal with explosives left at businesses

The Amsterdam mayor, police and Public Prosecutor launched a task force to investigate the increased incidents of hand grenades and other explosives used to intimidate business owners. The task force's goal will be to find out whether the municipality can take measures to prevent such incidents, the city said in a press release.

The number of incidents involving explosives increased significantly since last year, the city said. Over the past week and a half alone four hand grenades were found in the city. On Sunday a hand grenade was removed from coffeeshop Siberia on Brouwersgracht, last weekend two hand grenades were left at coffeeshop New Times on Spuistraat, and on the Friday before that a hand grenade was found on Eerste Coehoornstraat in the center of Amsterdam.

"Incidents of this kind not only affect the entrepreneurs involved, but also pose a great danger to local residents and passersby", the municipality said. The task force will investigate how the municipality and other authorities can help prevent such incidents.

As other cities in the Netherlands also face incidents involving hand grenades, the task force will also be working with those cities and the national government.