Six Dutch port cities to work together to tackle drug trafficking, people smuggling
Six Dutch coastal municipalities with smaller ports have joined forces to combat the increasing drug trafficking, human smuggling, and espionage practices through their seaports. According to the municipalities, security has improved at major ports like Rotterdam in recent years, but this has increased the risk of crime shifting to the smaller ports, NOS reports.
The municipalities involved are The Hague, Goeree-Overflakkee, Den Helder, Harlingen, Eemsdelta, and Het Hogeland. They hope to receive support from the national government with their joint approach. They need approximately €3 million in additional funding a year to protect smaller seaports. “We can’t foot the bill alone, both financially and in terms of enforcement,” Harlingen Mayor Ina Sjerps said.
According to Het Hogeland Mayor Hans Broekhuizen, increased security at the major ports makes it incredibly hard for criminals to find a way in. But that doesn’t mean that they stop coming. “Criminals are looking for the path of least resistance.” And smaller ports with less security provide that path.
On Thursday, Customs reported that they seized less cocaine at Dutch seaports last year. More barriers are being erected to combat smuggling, but Customs fears that traffickers are just finding other ways in.
According to Harlingen Mayor Sjerps, criminals are using new methods. “Drugs no longer arrive in containers, but are dropped at sea and picked up by small ships. With our long coastline, we are extremely vulnerable to this,” she said. “Our supervisory and enforcement agencies are not sufficiently equipped to tackle this type of crime.”
The six municipalities, therefore, hope that the national government will step in and offer support to their joint initiative.
