Hennepbende in Achterhoek en Twente opgerold

2024 saw an increase of more than 50 percent in the number of reports to Meld Misdaad Anoniem (Report Crime Anonymously, M.) regarding attacks, raw materials for explosives and the storage and trade of illegal fireworks. Annual figures show that the anonymous reporting hotline received a record number of 777 tips about these issues. Overall, reporters submitted 24,201 tips to M. last year, an increase of 19 percent compared to the year before. Feedback from police shows that at least 3,372 suspects were tracked down following anonymous tips.Half of the reports are related to drug crimes. Last year, the hotline received 12,307 reports (+4%) regarding international drug trafficking, drug labs, cannabis cultivation and drug trade in public or out of residences. In second place are violent crimes, such as public violence, domestic violence and animal abuse: 2,558 reports (+25%) were made regarding these issues. In addition, M. received a total of 2,087 tips in response to search notices in 2024, an increase of 18 percent.Record number of tips on explosivesTypical for the past year was the large number of incidents involving explosions in homes and at businesses. The explosion of a drug lab in Rotterdam-Zuid and the deadly attack with explosives in an apartment building in The Hague were the two most shocking cases, however, cities and neighbourhoods were tormented by explosions on an almost daily basis. This was clearly visible at Meld Misdaad Anoniem, as the number of tips about these incidents increased by more than 50%. “Explosions have a major impact on the safety in residential areas. The large number of incidents lead to a sense of insecurity. For many people, this is an important motivation to report on these incidents. People in The Netherlands were regularly confronted with images of destroyed and uninhabitable homes, often caused by heavy illegal fireworks. Over the past year, this happened in many different locations, sometimes resulting in serious injuries and even in deaths. We notice that these images are etched in people's minds and this contributes to the willingness to report,” according to a spokesperson for the hotline.Hardening of societyThe police report ‘Fenomeenbeeld Geweld’ (a strategic report to understand the nature and scope of violent crimes) shows that a significant number of attacks with explosives are not linked to criminal activities, but arise from conflicts and arguments among people that are fought out publicly. The general hardening of society, in which people pursue their own goals without taking others into consideration, was also visible at M. in other areas. For example, the number of reports on firearms doubled (531 tips) and there was an increase of 25% in the number of reports regarding violence. Within this category, the following statistics stood out: assault (492 reports, +38%), vandalism (113 reports, +49%) and animal abuse (707 reports, +30%). The number of tips in this last category has never been this high before. This development is worrying, since experts claim that animal abuse can be an indicator of other problems in society, such as violence against people.Reporting is effectiveAccording to police, at least 3,372 suspects were tracked down last year following tips to M.  Furthermore, anonymous reports led to the confiscation of 756 weapons. Police also seized a large number of stolen goods. For instance, a stolen food truck was retrieved in a warehouse in Bergen, Limburg; four stolen boats were found in Den Helder and police tracked down two dealers in stolen cargo bikes in Wassenaar. Once again last year, M. tips contributed to the conviction of perpetrators of serious crimes. Four men and a woman were sentenced to a maximum of four years in prison for large-scale banking helpdesk fraud. Dozens of elderly victims were called by their alleged ‘bank’ and tricked into sharing their PIN code. The group came to light after tips were received following investigation reports on a case in Eemnes. The victim handed over her bank card, jewellery and a 16th century painting, after which a large sum of money disappeared from her account. Eventually, dozens of reports from victims could be linked to the gang.In addition, five men were sentenced to between 24 and 28 months in prison for their involvement in a professional amphetamine lab in a cheese warehouse in Hengelo. The potential street value of all raw materials upon production would have been around 14 million euros. The same warehouse was used for the storage of cheeses for the cheese trade. Tests indicated that some of these cheeses contained traces of speed.In another case, two men were sentenced to 4 and 4,5 years in prison for producing amphetamine in a drug lab in Oldebroek. They must also repay almost 97,000 euros to the State - the amount they earned from the drug production. The court in The Hague sentenced a man to 4,5 years in prison for laundering bitcoins and drug trafficking via the dark web. The man was unable to provide an explanation for bitcoins worth 613,000 euros that were deposited into his account over a period of more than a year.

De Dienst Speciale Interventies (DSI) van de politie heeft op 27 november een cocaïnewasserij ontdekt in een loods in Enschede. Een melding bij Meld Misdaad Anoniem droeg bij aan het onderzoek. Er werden geen verdachten aangetroffen in het pand. De cocaïnewasserij is veilig ontmanteld door de Landelijke Faciliteit Ontmantelen (LFO).

De politie in Enschede heeft op 28 december een flinke hoeveelheid illegaal vuurwerk in een woning gevonden. Er lag 170 kilo illegaal vuurwerk opgeslagen, waarvan 140 kilo van explosieve aard. De vondst werd gedaan naar aanleiding van een anonieme tip.