Over 450 "drug extractors" caught at Rotterdam port this year

So far this year, the Dutch authorities made 452 arrests in the port of Rotterdam - a new record and significantly more than the 349 arrests in 2020. The detainees are suspected "extractors," AD reports.

Extractors or collectors are an indispensable part of the drug trafficking chain. Their job is to sneak into the port, break into containers, and remove the smuggled drugs before the police or customs find them.

The police count the number of arrests, and some suspects were arrested more than once. One suspect has been arrested nine times this year, the Public Prosecution Service said to AD. The youngest suspect this year was 14 years old. The oldest was nearly 50. The figures are up to November 9.

The investigative service is concerned about the increasing number of extractors. It is very difficult to keep them out of the port. If they're caught before extracting the drugs, the police can do little more than fine them 95 euros for trespassing.