Anonymous tips to police up 5%

Citizens of the Netherlands have helped the police arrest 1,900 suspects because of the anonymous tips they have phoned in to the police, Elsevier reports. Last year, 5 percent more people reported crimes to the Center Crime Anonymous (Meldpunt Misdaad Anoniem) than the year before according to Stichting M, the organization behind the tip line. Of the apprehended suspects, 1,124 have been arrested for drugs-related crimes. Whitewashing, extortion and criminally-acquired assets have been most reported, 34 percent more than in 2012. There have been 110 reports about XTC/GHB laboratories, a rise of 49 percent. This kind of information can help unmask criminal organizations. Illegal gambling was informed on as well, which rose by 18 percent to 136 tips. One of these tips even led to the arrest of 21 suspects at a Turkish coffee house in Amsterdam, which was subsequently closed by order of the mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan (PvdA). Stichting M does not belong to the police. It maintains the call center where people can call for free to leave information about serious crimes, fraud and integrity.