West Brabant new murder capital of the Netherlands beating Amsterdam

In 2015 West-Brabant became the new murder capital of the Netherlands. With 17 cases of murder and manslaughter over the year, the region took the crown from Amsterdam where only 15 murders were committed, despite the ongoing gang-related assassinations, AD reports. Murders weren't the only thing West-Brabant had to deal with. The police exposed a huge arms trading ring between West-Brabant and Amsterdam. Drugs production and trade had the authorities working overtime. And motorcycle gangs No Surrender and Satudara are well represented in the region. At least four of the murder investigations this year involved motorcycle gang members, either as suspects or victims, according to the newspaper. This includes a double murder at a small vacation home between Hooge Zwaluwe and Drimmelen in October. No Surrender leader Brian Dalfour was killed. "Amsterdam was long the front runner in the area of assassinations. Around Eindhoven was also hot for a while. And now West-Brabant. It shifts constantly." Rienk de Groot, regional chief detective, commented to the newspaper. West-Brabant is ideally located to be a hot spot for crime. It is on the busy route etween the Randstad and Belgium and between the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, used by criminals to smuggle cocaine. The countryside also offers plenty of space for clandestine activities, such as cannabis cultivation.