Mayor Femke Halsema expects rise in drug crime in Amsterdam over the next decade

Organized drug crime in Amsterdam is at risk of further growing in the next decade, Amsterdam's mayor Femke Halsema reported in a letter to the city council on Thursday. Her statement is based on a report by the Stedelijk Strategieteam (Urban Strategy Team) regarding the future of drug crime up to 2035. The report was commissioned due to the increasingly visible impacts of organized crime in the capital.

“Organized drug crime has a major impact on Amsterdam and the Netherlands, as is well known. In the city, the effects of this large-scale organized crime are becoming increasingly evident,” the mayor stated. She noted that organized drug crime's influence is growing, with residents witnessing a rise in gun violence, shocking killings, and more frequent neighborhood explosions and attacks.

For the report, discussions were held with about 40 experts from the municipality, police, the Public Prosecution Service, tax authorities, and academics. The researchers concluded that the demand for drugs will increase in the next ten years. "Ordering drugs online and via apps is becoming easier and more anonymous. The Dutch drug trade is already well beyond the multinational turnover of Heineken."

It also remains challenging to trace the finances behind drug crime, which could become even more difficult if digital money becomes dominant in the future. Furthermore, an increasing number of young people are getting involved in drug crime as poverty continues to rise and shortages in youth care persist. "It's estimated that currently, at least 10,000 young people in Amsterdam are vulnerable to falling into drug-related crime," Halsema wrote.

The influence of the drug industry is also becoming more evident in mainstream society. "Corruption is a blind spot within the municipality, while agencies such as the state investigation service point out that corrupting officials across various government entities has become a business model due to the growing drug economy,” Halsema wrote.

To combat drug crime, Amsterdam needs to collaborate more with other municipalities and national partners like the FIOD (Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service), tax authorities, and the FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit), as indicated in the report. Provisions for young people must also be in place so that they are less tempted by criminality. Both Amsterdam and national officials need to bolster their resilience against corruption. Lastly, the mayor indicated that consideration should be given to the potential (international) regulation of drugs in the long term, in order to possibly counter the criminal profit model.

The municipality will organize an international conference on drug crime on January 26, aiming to delve deeper into tackling drug crime in the future.