Cocaine trade behind four in five assassinations in Netherlands

Four out of five assassinations committed in the Netherlands are linked to cocaine trafficking. The perpetrators of these murders are all men, aged 29 on average, and with an average of 27 crimes on their record before their first assassination. The idea that hitters are getting younger and are often unknown to the police is, therefore, incorrect, according to a study by Politie & Wetenschap of the 57 assassinations committed in the Netherlands between 2016 and 2021.

“That image has probably arisen from high-profile murder cases and the general image that perpetrators of crimes are becoming increasingly younger, but that is not the case with assassinations,” police chief Martin Stialsing told the Telegraaf about the study. “The research does show that assassins often become involved in crime for the first time at a very young age - 12 or 13 years old. Poverty often plays a role at home, but also the neighborhood where they grow up. Existing criminal structures in such a neighborhood have a negative impact.”

The number of assassinations has been decreasing since 2017. About 1 in 12 cases of murder or manslaughter involved an assassination. Attacks in broad daylight, like the murder of lawyer Derk Wiersum in 2019, are rare. Most assassinations happen at night, especially during the week when the victims’ routines are clearer. Remarkably, criminals are more likely to be assassinated by someone from their own circle than by rivals.

“The motive to kill someone more often comes from one’s own camp than from the opponents,” researcher Sheila Adjiembaks told the Telegraaf. “That involves a breach of contract, theft of money or drugs, talking to the police or someone from the criminal environment. Friendships in the criminal environment are very relative. The danger more often comes from within than from outside one’s own criminal record.”

Most assassinations happened in Noord- and Zuid-Holland (26 percent), followed by Noord-Brabant (12 percent) and Utrecht (12 percent). The Randstad assassinations usually involved cocaine; those in Noord-Brabant more often revolved around cannabis and synthetic drugs. There were no assassinations in Friesland, Felvoland, Drenthe, and Groningen in the years examined.

Another common idea debunked by the research is that increasingly dangerous weapons are used in assassinations, said Adjiembaks. “In less than a quarter of the assassinations - 13 out of 57 - a fully automatic rifle was used, for example, a Kalashnikov or Skorpion. We see no increase or decrease. The use of such heavy weapons does not determine the risk to bystanders. No bystanders were present at almost half of the attacks.”

The researchers found four ways in which criminals are involved in assassinations. “You have the ‘do-it-yourselfers,’ who commit an assassination based on a direct personal conflict,” Adjiembaks said. “Then you have the ‘professional,’ who commits murders on behalf of someone else and often does it for financial gain. Thirdly, we saw ‘naives,’ who did odd jobs more on the periphery. Think of placing a tracking beacon or spotting a target. The fourth group consists of the ‘knowers’: convicts who deny their role but have knowledge of the dynamics in the criminal environment.”

According to police chief Sitalisng, this study will help with future investigations into assassinations. But its main benefit is that it again highlights the importance of “good information positions in disadvantaged neighborhoods” to prevent children and young people from falling into the criminal underworld.

“An approach that takes into account the entire context in which vulnerable young people grow up is necessary. An approach in which partners such as the police, municipalities, but also district-oriented (youth) workers, teachers, parents, and young people work closely together. Only when this importance is widely felt can we combat this problem effectively and for the long term,” Sitalsing said.

The researchers released their report on Wednesday, the same day that the Public Prosecution Service (OM) demanded life sentences against three men suspected of assassinating crime reporter Peter R. de Vries on 6 July 2021 - the most high-profile assassination in the Netherlands in recent years.