Dutch police force discovered a record number of weapons in vehicles last year

Last year, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee found a record number of weapons in cars during roadside checks. It involved at least 252 weapons tucked away in gloveboxes, under seats, and in trunks, writes national newspaper AD Saturday based on annual figures.

A year earlier, the military police found 155 weapons; in 2018, there were 120. The newspaper writes that the criminals are increasingly trying to hide the weapons in concealed spaces.

The weapons were discovered during checks in the border region, which were initially intended to stop illegal immigrants, passport fraudsters, and human traffickers. In 77 cases, the military also found large amounts of money.

1,674 drivers who still had an open sentence were also arrested. This concerned, for example, outstanding prison sentences and unpaid fines.

The Marechaussee has no clear explanation for the sharp increase in the number of violations. The decrease in traffic as a result of the corona crisis may have played a role. The Marechaussee also took to the streets more often in small teams instead of conducting large-scale checks.