Research shows Limburg municipalities most vulnerable to organized crime

Municipalities in Zuid-Limburg are most likely to fall into the grip of organized crime, according to research by RTL Nieuws. Heerlen for instance ranks number 1 in the Underworld map ranking, which was published Thursday. The news outlet researched the vulnerabilities of Dutch municipalities to subversive crime that undermines the social order. Kerkrade is number 2, followed by Rotterdam, The Hague, Arnhem and Schiedam.

Heerlen appears to be vulnerable to criminals in many areas. The police counted 131 cases of drug trafficking and 48 cases of arms trafficking in the first ten months of this year, according to RTL Nieuws.

In addition, almost 5 percent of the buildings in the city are owned by someone with a criminal record, and 1 in 15 young people run an increased risk of ending up in drug-related crime. In Heerlen, 1 in 8 households is struggling with problematic debts.

It is the first time that RTL News has published the Underworld map. The analysis provides municipalities with insight into where they are vulnerable. The research can help residents and businesses to recognize signs of money laundering or other influences of the underworld on the upper world. Certain signals of subversion, such as the number of vulnerable youth and the arms trade, are seen more often in cities. In smaller municipalities, drug suspects are often related to each other, the research showed.

Mayor Roel Wever said to RTL that he is not surprised that his municipality of Heerlen leads the ranking. "We are on the border here, which allows criminals to go back and forth. And we have major social problems that are still the result of the [coal] mine closure. The third generation is unemployed, then you get these kinds of difficulties ."

The number of Limburg municipalities in the top 10 is striking. Sittard-Geleen is at 7, Brunssum at 9 and Roermond at 10th position.

Limburg governor Emile Roemer said he is very concerned. "With 80,000 unguarded border crossings, it is very easy to organize subversion here and also to leave very quickly without being caught. The police must be involved, the judiciary must be strengthened, as well as the criminal investigation. Limburg cannot do this alone," Roemer told RTL Nieuws.