Mayor orders six-month closure of Amsterdam warehouse linked to cocaine shipment
A warehouse in Amsterdam has been closed for six months by Mayor Femke Halsema after authorities discovered that a shipment of 1,200 kilos of cocaine intercepted in August in the Port of Vlissingen was destined for the warehouse in the Food Center, Het Parool reports.
A 43-year-old Amsterdam resident was arrested in connection with the shipment, which was found on August 8 in a container of bananas sent from Colombia. Police tracked the shipment by placing a 30-gram sample of the seized cocaine back into the container to monitor its destination, which led them to the warehouse on the Jan van Galenstraat in Amsterdam-West.
“The presence of a commercial quantity of drugs can create safety risks for local residents due to nuisance, rip deals, burglaries, and the property’s appeal for criminal activity,” Halsema wrote in the closure order. "It is plausible that the property is involved in the drug network.”
The closure is based on Article 13b of the Opium Act, giving municipalities the authority to shut down properties in cases of serious drug law violations. The measure is intended to restore public order and prevent further criminal activity. Similar measures were taken in Sittard and Amsterdam Nieuw-West, where properties were closed after large drug caches caused disruptions to public order.
Amsterdam follows a regionally uniform implementation and enforcement policy (VTH policy) in partnership with the North Sea Canal Area Environmental Service (OD NZKG). The recent operation involved coordinated efforts by the police, customs, and the Public Prosecution Service.
