Amount of explosions almost tripled, Rotterdam as the frontrunner

The number of explosion incidents is nearly three times as high as it was a year ago. The most explosions have been registered by the Rotterdam police unit, followed by Amsterdam, the Hague, and Noord-Holland, a police spokesperson said. Amongst the Rotterdam numbers is the recent explosions in Vlaardingen.

Until the 1st of December, there were 622 explosions known to the police, compared to 228 in the whole of 2022; the spokesperson confirmed the numbers the NOS was the first to report. It is regarding attacks on homes and companies and attempts of that.

The spokesperson spoke of a trend where people who have argued use explosives. He says the underlying reason is usually a conflict in the criminal circuit. That could be anything from drug crime to illegal clothing trade, extortion, and intimidation. "We are also seeing copycat behavior, for example, with relationship conflicts."

The police spokesman emphasized that the number of explosions is still increasing. There were also several explosions last night. In the Rotterdam neighborhood of Delfshaven, an explosion damaged a home housing complex's porch. There were also explosions in Dordrecht and Almere. The facade of a restaurant in the Hague was damaged, presumably due to fireworks.

The National Forensic Coordination Team (LFCT) of the police keeps track of the number of explosions incidents. In July, the team announced that the number of explosions had risen drastically, especially in Rotterdam. It also became clear that homemade and heavier explosives, such as flash powder, were increasingly being used.