RECENT NARCOTICS DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NETHERLANDS

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCRM NL
SUBJECT: RECENT NARCOTICS DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NETHERLANDS


1. Below follows an update of developments in the
Netherlands re narcotic drugs. Contents:

--Cabinet Intensifies Cannabis Policy
--Soft Drug Legalization Debate
--Good Results Ecstasy Policy
--National Campaign to Prevent Ecstasy Trafficking
--Expansion of "Medical Heroin" Experiment
--100% Checks on Venezuelan Flights
--2003 Cocaine Seizures by Customs
--2003 National Drug Monitor
--Effective Approach against Drug "Runners"
--Increasing Number of Hemp Plantations
--Drug Seizures
--Dutch-French Annual Drug Talks

Cabinet Intensifies Cannabis Policy
--------------

2. On July 1, the Second Chamber (Lower House) of
Parliament approved the April 2004 "Cannabis Letter" drafted
by the Ministers of Health, Justice and Interior, which
included an "Action Plan to Discourage Cannabis Use."
According to the letter, Dutch coffeeshop policy has not led
to a significantly higher cannabis use since Dutch cannabis
use is average compared to that of other EU countries. The
Ministers argued the distinction between hard and soft drugs
had worked: hard drugs were seldom found in coffeeshops.
Still, they were concerned about the health risks of
cannabis use and the sharp rise in the THC content. They
also realized the Dutch coffeeshop policy, a responsibility
for local governments, "is unsatisfactory from the point of
view of law enforcement and combating drug crime."


3. To address the problems, the Action Plan includes the
following initiatives, which will be started over the next
few months:

-- In consultation with local governments, the Interior
Ministry will investigate ways to improve enforcement of
cannabis policy; encourage local governments to apply
certain criteria of distance between coffeeshops and
schools; and demand a more intensive use of the Municipality
Act and the Opium Act to close down coffeeshops, if
required;

-- The Justice Ministry is experimenting to fight drug
tourism and large-scale cannabis cultivation for which it
seeks closer police cooperation with neighboring countries.
The Ministry is investigating possibilities of limiting
cannabis sales to non-residents of a certain city.
Maastricht is the first city to participate in this
experiment. If the flow of tourists remains high in spite
of the sales limitation, the government may consider
withdrawing licenses, refusing new ones or limiting opening-
hours; and

-- The Health Ministry is looking into the possible risks of
cannabis with a high THC content. (In 2003, the THC content
of Dutch-grown cannabis "Nederwiet" was 18% and of Dutch
hashish 35.8%.) If research proves use of high-level THC
cannabis leads to serious health risks, the Cabinet will re-
assess legal consequences. In the worst case, cannabis with
high THC levels could be placed on List 1 of the Opium Act,
effectively banning it from coffeeshops. The Health
Ministry will also investigate possible links between
cannabis use and mental disorders. The existing "Drugs,
don't kid yourself" information campaign to discourage
cannabis use will be continued over the next three years.


4. During the parliamentary debate, Justice Minister Donner
turned down a Labor Party (PdvA) proposal for coffeeshops to
put content/quality labels on bags of Dutch cannabis.
Donner said it was not possible for the government to
control the entire chain in order to guarantee quality.
This would, in fact, mean a legalization of the entire drug
chain of production and distribution, which Donner sharply
resisted. Health Minister Hoogervorst, however, reacted
positively to a proposal to put health warnings on the
"Nederwiet" wrappings, similar to those on cigarette packs.
He said he would take it up with local governments.


5. Despite Second Chamber approval, the Association of
Local Governments (VNG) opposes the Cabinet plans.
According to the chair of the VNG safety committee, Haarlem
mayor Pop, the plans offer solutions to non-existing
problems. Pop feared the plans, which will tighten controls
on coffeeshops and cut down their number, will lead to a
rising number of illegal and uncontrollable sales points,
causing an increase in sales of hard drugs and more public
nuisance. According to Pop, the Cabinet is paying too much
attention to foreign opinion and is losing sight of its
"successful coffeeshop policy."

Soft Drug Legalization Debate
--------------

6. The debate about legalizing soft drugs flared up again
in the past few months. In April, the opposition Labor
Party (PvdA) published a report proposing a licensing system
for a limited number of cannabis producers, while raising
sentences for illegal producers. The PvdA hoped to limit
dangerous situations caused by illegal plantations. It
argued firefighters were increasingly faced with fires and
flooding caused by illegal cannabis producers, and energy
companies lost money and energy because of tapping of
illegal electricity. Moreover, PdvA argued the
inconsistency between allowing cannabis use in coffeeshops
but banning cannabis production should no longer be
maintained. According to the PvdA, this has resulted in
large-scale "Nederwiet" cultivation, often in the hands of
criminal organizations. The PvdA proposed a local licensing
system regulating the production of "Nederwiet" and the
supply to coffeeshops, with the advantage of increased
quality control. At the same time, the PvdA would raise
maximum penalties for illegal growers.


7. These proposals were endorsed by a majority of Amsterdam
city council, except for the Christian-Democrats. The city
council also wants to legalize cannabis plantation in order
to throw out organized crime. The Amsterdam politicians
recently published a manifest calling on their colleagues in
other cities to participate in the cannabis debate about
State-controlled cannabis production, which should make it a
"transparent, quality-controlled sector."


8. At a symposium of political parties' think-tanks in
March, Maastricht court president Lampe said Dutch drug
policy leads to overburdening of and cynicism by the
judiciary. An inquiry among judges and public prosecutors
showed some 67 percent favor legalization of soft drugs.
Lampe called the controversial situation of allowing "front-
door" cannabis sales (at coffeeshops) and penalizing "back-
door" deliveries (to the coffeeshops from unauthorized
producers) unworkable. Minister Donner continues to oppose
"regulation" of cannabis cultivation commenting that
"regulation is the same as legalization." Neither did he
want to buy the argument that drug policy puts a
disproportionate burden on the judiciary since only one
percent of jail sentences concerns cannabis offenses.

Good Results Ecstasy Policy
--------------

9. The first assessment of the Dutch government's five-year
Ecstasy policy ("Plotting against XTC"),which was announced
in May 2001, argues it is proving successful. According to
the report, submitted to parliament in March, the South
Netherlands Core Team/Synthetic Drugs Unit (KTZ/USD) and
Dutch Ecstasy teams arrested 214 suspects in 2003, twice as
many as in 2002. Precursor seizures rose to 11,453 liters
from 10,801 liters in 2002, and 33 investigations were
completed in 2003 from 21 in 2002. According to the report,
the total number of Ecstasy tablets with an alleged Dutch
connection, which were confiscated by the U.S. authorities,
dropped to one million in 2003 from 2.5 million in 2002.
The next policy assessment will be done in late 2004 with
the final one scheduled for 2006.

National Campaign to Prevent Ecstasy Smuggling
-------------- -

10. In June, Justice Minister Donner officially started an
information campaign to keep potential Ecstasy traffickers
from smuggling to other countries. The campaign, which had
already been announced in the 2001 Ecstasy policy, warns
potential Ecstasy traffickers against the risks they are
taking in foreign countries. In 2002, some 403 Dutch
nationals were being detained in foreign prisons for this
crime. The Justice Ministry has opened a website
(www.xtcsmokkel.nl),on which information can be found on
foreign prison sentences and conditions in foreign prisons.
In addition to the website, trams and buses in Amsterdam,
Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague are carrying ads with
similar warnings.

Expansion of "Medical Heroin" Experiment
--------------

11. On June 18, the Cabinet approved a proposal by the
Health and Justice Ministers enabling local governments to
provide "medical heroin treatment units," if they meet all
criteria. The number of persons receiving such "medical
treatment" will be increased from 300 currently to 1,000,
divided over 15 treatment units in 11 regions. Currently,
there are six treatment units (Rotterdam, Utrecht, Heerlen,
Amsterdam, The Hague, and Groningen). The Health Ministry
differentials between medical treatment with heroin
(treatment of a limited group of seriously ill, chronic
heroin addicts for whom all other forms of treatment have
failed) and "free distribution of drugs." It argues such
medical treatment improves the addicts' health while
reducing public nuisance and the crime rate.


12. All Second Chamber parties, except for CDA (Christian
Democrats - senior party in the ruling coalition and the
party of Minister Donner) and small Christian parties,
welcomed the Cabinet decision to expand the project.

Checks on Venezuelan Flights
--------------

13. In April, Justice Minister Donner expanded his
interdiction policy of 100% drug checks at Schiphol Airport
for certain Caribbean flights to all flights coming from
Venezuela. This means that, in addition to the flights
coming from the Netherlands Antilles and Suriname, five more
weekly flights from Venezuela will be fully checked. The
Minister is also considering extending the policy to flights
coming from northern Brazil. Calling the tighter controls a
success, the Justice Ministry argues the number of drug
runners per high-risk flight checked so far has decreased
drastically. Before the end of last year when the measures
were announced, there were an estimated 50 drug runners per
flight. The average number has now dropped to about five.
Because cocaine has become more difficult to buy, drug
researchers have noted an increase in the street price for
cocaine from 40-50 euros per gram to 60-65 euros. There
are, however, a number of skeptics of this policy, and EU
neighbors have expressed concern about diversion. [Embassy
will prepare a separate cable examining the Schiphol
program.]

2003 Cocaine Seizures by Customs (only Customs seizures -
does not include police seizures
-------------- --------------

14. Dutch Customs seized almost 14,000 kilos of cocaine in
2003 from 7,500 kilos in 2002. The increase is partly due
to an exceptionally large cocaine shipment of 4,050 kilos
seized last summer by the Flushing customs office. Even
without this seizure, the increase would have been 33
percent. Rotterdam Customs seized more than 2,032 kilos of
cocaine (590 kilos in 2002). Seizures at Schiphol rose to
2,211 kilos from 859 kilos in 2002. (The interdiction
policy on flights from the Netherlands Antilles, Curacao,
and Suriname started in December 2003.)


15. Dutch Customs also seized 89 kilos of heroin (2002: 492
kilos); 7,249 kilos of hashish (2002: 21,206 kilos); 6,141
kilos of marijuana (6,933 kilos); 875,619 Ecstasy tablets
(1.92 million); and 7,674 liters of precursors (7,712
liters). Hashish and marijuana were seized mostly at inner
borders.


16. In 2003, Dutch Customs intensified controls in storage
facilities. In total, Customs officers found 2,400 kilos of
hashish (about one-third of total hashish seizures),96
kilos of marijuana, 322,500 Ecstasy tablets, and 654 liters
of precursors in storage.

2003 National Drug Monitor - Drug Use Profiles
-------------- -

17. According to the 2003 National Drug Monitor (NDM)
published by the Trimbos Addiction Institute, the number of
drug users in the Netherlands rose between 1997 and 2001,
peaking among young people between ages 20-24. Drug use in
the 12-15 year age group remained virtually unchanged.

Cannabis: Cannabis remained by far the most popular drug.
The number of current cannabis users rose between 1997 and
2001 from 326,000 to 408,000 (2.5% and 3%, respectively).
The proportion of current cannabis users among
schoolchildren remained almost stable. Compared to other EU
countries, Dutch cannabis use can be considered average.
One in five current users consumes cannabis (almost) daily.
The number of coffeeshops dropped from 1,179 in 1997 to 782
in 2002.

Cocaine: Cocaine use among the general population is
limited. However, cocaine use did increase between 1997 and
2001 (from 0.2% to 0.4% among current users),and in the
last decade has seen a large increase in special groups of
the population, such as problematic hard drug users. These
users mainly use smokeable crack. Seven to nine out of ten
opiate addicts also use cocaine, which has become the main
drug for many hard drug users. Sniffed coke has become
popular among partying youth and young adolescents. The
number of people seeking help for cocaine-related problems
rose from 2,468 in 1994 to 6,647 in 2001. Two in three
cocaine users seeking help have a crack problem. Acute
mortality as a result of cocaine use shows a rising trend
from 27 deaths between 1985-1995 to 86 deaths between 1996-

2001.

Opiates: Heroin is not popular among the general population
(0.1% of current users). With a figure ranging between
26,000 and 30,000, the number of opiate addicts in the
Netherlands is stable. It is the lowest figure per thousand
inhabitants in Western Europe (2.6 in the Netherlands, 3.1
in Germany, 4.3 in France, 4.5 in Sweden and 6.9 in the UK).
Some 17,786 opiate addicts were in outpatient addiction care
treatment in 2001. Half of all opiate addicts are
registered in methadone programs, generally as clients on
maintenance basis. The average age of methadone clients in
Amsterdam rose from 32 in 1989 to 43 in 2002. The number of
opiate overdoses among Dutch residents remained low (on
average 64 cases per year). The proportion of opiate
addicts injecting the drug decreased strongly over the past
decade and is now estimated at 10 to 20 percent. According
to the latest surveys, 16 percent of intravenous users in
Amsterdam are HIV-infected.

Ecstasy and Amphetamines: The percentage of current Ecstasy
users in the general population rose between 1997 and 2001
rose from 0.3 to 0.5 percent. The increase occurred mainly
among women. The percentage of current amphetamine users
remained low (0.1% in 1997 and 0.2% in 2001). Ecstasy is
still popular among young party-goers. Treatment demand in
outpatient addiction care for Ecstasy is low and falling
(233 cases in 2001). Less than one percent of all house
party visitors becomes unwell and seeks first-aid. The
exact number of people who have died as a result of Ecstasy
use is not known.

Drug Crime: Drug crime has for years been putting a heavy
strain on the resources of police and the criminal justice
system, and that has increased since 2001. More narcotics
suspects were arrested in 2002 than in previous years. In
2002, six in ten investigations into organized crime
involved narcotics offenses. With an increase of 17 percent
between 2001 and 2002, the number of cases which ended up
with public prosecutors amounted to almost 16,000. The
number of community sentences imposed for narcotics offences
rose by a quarter and the number of unsuspended prison
sentences by almost one third. The average prison sentence
rose from an average of 356 days to 382 days. The
proportion of the prison population detained for narcotics
offences rose from 24 percent in 2001 to 27 percent in 2002.
One quarter of all narcotics offenders are repeat offenders.
The Judicial Treatment of (Criminal) Addicts (SOV) (criminal
addicts are given a choice between treatment or prison) is
being implemented on a trial basis at four locations. At
the end of May 2003, there were 174 participants meaning
that almost 25 percent of the available treatment programs
still were unoccupied.

Effective Approach against Drug "Runners"
--------------

18. Since 2000, the so-called A-team of the police, Tax and
Customs Service has been fighting drug "runners" and
"tourists" in international trains and on highways. In
2003, the A-team arrested more than 1,800 people, including
1,200 drug users, 450 drug "runners" and 70 dealers. Half
of the total number of arrests were French, but there were
also Belgians (347),Dutch (254) and Moroccans (226). In
total, 100 kilos of hemp, 75 kilos of hashish, 3 kilos of
heroin, one kilos of cocaine, 1,000 kilos of Dutch
"Nederwiet," and 3,000 Ecstasy tablets were seized. The Tax
Service seized 130,000 euros in cash and cars, and the
police collected 446 fines worth 180,000 euros. In 2003,
four French police and Customs officers participated in the
A-team, greatly improving communications with France,
according to the A-team.

Increasing Number of Hemp Plantations
--------------

19. Despite intensified police actions, the number of
plantations cultivating Dutch-grown cannabis ("Nederwiet")
is increasing. In 2003, the police dismantled some 3,000
plantations, and the number is expected to rise this year.
In May 2004, the police rolled up the largest "Nederwiet"
plantation ever found in the Netherlands with 135,000
plants. The three largest energy companies in the
Netherlands have established their own fraud teams to track
down the plantations, arguing they lose about 200 million
euros per year on illegal electricity tapping.

Drug Seizures
--------------

20. After a lengthy investigation, the NR National Crime
Squad ("Nationale Recherche") reported in July it had
arrested five people suspected of having trafficked large
supplies of Ecstasy to Australia. A total of 3.5 million
Ecstasy tablets were seized. In addition, four arrests were
made in Belgium. In February, the Melbourne police found
250,000 tablets in a shipment of chandeliers. In May, some
2.5 million pills were found in a pizza oven, which had been
transported from the Netherlands to Belgium, and in April
700,000 pills were found in a metal safe. The gang's
leader, an "Amsterdammer," was also arrested.


21. On July 8, the NR arrested three people suspected of
Ecstasy and amphetamine exports to the UK, where four people
were arrested. In total, 88 kilos (about 365,000) of
Ecstasy tablets and 36.5 kilos of amphetamine powder were
seized hidden in a shipment of pallets with second-hand
books.

Dutch-French Annual Drug Talks
--------------

22. The 9th annual drug consultations between the
Netherlands and France were held June 10 in The Hague. The
high-level delegations agreed to strengthen cooperation in
fighting drug trafficking and use of illegal drugs. They
paid special attention to renewing border-crossing
cooperation and stressed the importance of countering drug
smuggling and to avoid diversion to other airports and
ports. The countries agreed to investigate ways in which
the Schengen agreement and the Naples II Customs treaty can
be used in the drug fight. French and Dutch Customs
officers will undertake joint actions for airport controls.
The countries also wanted to give priority to studying the
risks of cannabis with high THC content.

Russel