DUTCH INTENSIFY FIGHT AGAINST SYNTHETIC DRUGS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 THE HAGUE 001013

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR INL, EUR/ERA, EUR/PGI, EUR/UBI
ONDCP FOR CHARLOTTE SISSON
DOJ FOR OIA
DEA HQS FOR OEE, OIE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PINS PREL NL
SUBJECT: DUTCH INTENSIFY FIGHT AGAINST SYNTHETIC DRUGS


Summary
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1. The Justice Ministry policy memorandum on planned measures
against the production, trade and use of synthetic drugs, submitted
to Parliament May 11, outlines the Dutch government's objectives and
strategies to combat ecstasy and other synthetic drugs over the next
several years. The policy memorandum is a follow-up to the
2002-2006 "Plotting against Ecstasy" plan. The new policy measures
will include enhanced law enforcement efforts to combat the
production and trade of synthetic drugs; vigorous drug use
prevention and information efforts; and closer international
cooperation. An evaluation of the "Plotting against Ecstasy" plan
indicates that it has had positive results, but notes that synthetic
drugs are still being produced in the Netherlands and ecstasy is
still widely available on the domestic market. End summary.

Combating Synthetic Drugs Remains a Priority
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2. On May 11 Justice Minister Hirsch Ballin sent Parliament a
policy memorandum on "Continued Measures against Synthetic Drugs as
of 2007," along with a final assessment of the "Plotting against
Ecstasy" plan. Hirsch Ballin noted in his introduction to the
memorandum that production, trade and use of synthetic drugs had
national and international consequences in terms of both public
health and crime, and that it gave the Netherlands a negative image
as a producing country. Therefore, the National Crime Squad,
regional police services, the public prosecutor's office, customs,
the FIOD-ECD fiscal and economic control services, the KMar military
police and the Dutch Forensic Institute have given the combat
against synthetic drugs top priority. The new strategy will give
particular focus to diversions of chemical precursors for synthetic
drug production, a strong prevention and information campaign, and
closer international cooperation. Hirsch Ballin noted that the
updated synthetic drug strategy was consistent with the new
government's February 2007 coalition accord, which identified
fighting organized crime, including drug crime, as a priority
objective.


3. The Justice Ministry's policy memorandum on countering synthetic
drugs includes the following measures:

Precursors and Hardware

- Increased investments by police and the FIOD-ECD fiscal and
economic control service in investigations of the production
process, including chemical precursors and tableting machines. The
National Crime Squad will consult with tableting machine producers
to report suspect deliveries;
- Intensified cooperation with chemical precursor source countries
(China, Eastern Europe and Russia);
- Continued cooperation with Europol, including information
exchanges on seized hardware, such as tableting machines, pressure
barrels, glassware and boilers;
- Increased attention by Dutch and foreign customs services to new
smuggling routes across eastern EU borders.

Production and Trade

- High priority by police and the prosecutor's office on combating
criminal organizations involved in the trade and distribution of
precursor chemicals, and the purchase of production hardware;
- High priority by police and prosecutors to fighting criminal
organizations that finance illegal business activities, control
production processes, and engage in international synthetic drug
trade;
- Increased financial investigations aimed at asset seizures in
money laundering cases;
- Enhanced multidisciplinary cooperation among all enforcement
organizations (National Crime Squad, the National Forensic
Institute, the National Laboratory Dismantling Facility, FIOD-ECD,
Customs, KMar and Europol).

Trade and Distribution

- Increased inspections on smuggling routes for synthetic drugs and
chemical precursors;
- Increased information exchange among EU enforcement agencies;
- Continued controls by the Schiphol team on ecstasy couriers
traveling to the US. Since 2006, the number of ecstasy couriers
arrested appears to be rising again.

Information and Research

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- Increased information campaigns about the health risks of
synthetic drugs;
- Quantitative research about synthetic drug users' habits to
improve intervention efforts.

International Cooperation

- Continued active participation in operational cooperation within
the EU;
- Continued, and if necessary, intensified, bilateral cooperation
with the US (in the context of the Next Steps agreement),Australia,
Canada, and Russia;
- Implementation of measures to fight illegal production and trade
in safrol, a chemical precursor for ecstasy. The Netherlands and
the U.S. have taken the lead in combating methamphetamine production
worldwide, within the context of the UN's PRISM project.

Financing

The additional funds of 18.6 million euros per year, which were set
aside for combating ecstasy during previous five-year period, will
be continued.

Final Evaluation 2002-2006 Ecstasy Strategy
--------------


4. The third and final assessment of the 2002-2006 "Plotting
against Ecstasy" strategy, conducted by the Justice Ministry's
independent research center (WODC),concluded that the five-year
policy plan was very effective. The WODC concluded that:

- Cooperation among investigation and enforcement services has been
improved;
- Dozens of investigations were initiated, leading to the arrest of
hundreds of suspects;
- More than 20 million ecstasy tablets and thousands of liters of
chemical precursors were seized;
- 130 production labs were dismantled;


5. The WODC noted that there are clear indications that the
production of synthetic drugs in the Netherlands has dropped but has
not been eliminated. At the same time, it notes that factors other
than Dutch enforcement policy may have played a significant role in
the decline. There still is a users' market in the Netherlands for
ecstasy. The price of ecstasy tablets has remained stable and
relatively low and purity has remained relatively high throughout
the five year period. Although the popularity of ecstasy seems to
have peaked in certain parts of the western world, there are a
number of significant emerging markets, resulting in continuing high
demand.


6. According to an official in the Justice Ministry's drug policy
department, the new policy measures reflect the government's
commitment to fighting the production and trade of synthetic drugs.
Despite the positive results over the last five years, the
government concluded that although some production has shifted to
other countries, the continued production of ecstasy in the
Netherlands warranted the intensification of the anti-ecstasy
strategy. Since the new measures outlined in the "Continued
Measures" policy memorandum do not require a change in law,
parliamentary approval is not needed.


7. According to DEA contacts, some of the funds for implementation
of the new strategy will be used to establish an additional Dutch
national police (KLDP) liaison officer overseas to focus
specifically on ecstasy; Canada and Australia reportedly are among
the countries where the new position may be established. In
addition, some of the funds will be used to continue funding the
Dutch national police (KLDP) liaison officer position in Washington,
D.C.


6. Comment. A revised strategy to extend and enhance the
coordinated effort initiated in 2001 to combat the production,
export and consumption of ecstasy and other synthetic drugs has been
anticipated for some months. The comprehensive policy measures laid
out in the policy memorandum are a welcome sign that the Dutch
government remains committed to stepped-up efforts against ecstasy.
Particularly positive is the explicit focus on international
cooperation (including with the United States),multidisciplinary
cooperation among Dutch investigation and enforcement agencies, and
targeting organized crime groups, which contributed to the
improvement in Dutch anti-ecstasy efforts in the last five years.


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Arnall