Tips Meld Misdaad Anoniem hit record high
In 2025, Meld Misdaad Anoniem received a record-breaking number of reports. The tip line forwarded a total of 32,007 reports to police, local councils and investigative agencies - a 32% increase over the previous year. The majority of the information received pertained to drug-related offenses, followed by violent crimes, subversive activities, and wanted individuals. Thanks to these tips, 3,452 suspects were tracked down and 1,140 weapons were seized.
Analysis of the annual data indicates an increase in almost all reporting categories. This trend can be partially attributed to the nationwide "Keep Crime Out of Your Neighbourhood" publicity campaign initiated last year. Through advertising on national television, radio and online platforms, people were alerted to indicators of organised subversive criminal activity, enabling them to recognise these signs and respond appropriately. The campaign had an immediate noticable impact, resulting in a significant increase in reports - such as those concerning unexplained or subversive activities (2,941 tips, +71%). As a result, this topic now ranks within the top three of most frequently reported categories.
Drugs, violence, and tracking down suspects
Over 14,000 reports (+15%) concerned drug-related offenses, including street and residential trafficking, cannabis farms, and synthetic drug production. Additionally, a significant amount of information was shared regarding violent crimes. M. received 3,480 tips (+36%) pertaining to assaults, shootings, stabbings, homicides and street robberies. The number of tips related to wanted notices also remained high, totalling 2,727 tips (+31%) regarding wanted suspects.
Emerging phenomena
Criminal activity is evolving in response to societal developments and changes in legislation and regulations. This trend is clearly reflected in the reports received by Meld Misdaad Anoniem (Report Crime Anonymously). For instance, there was a significant increase in reports related to the illegal trade in vapes and cigarettes last year. As a result of these tips, the FIOD (Fiscal Information and Investigation Service) and Customs uncovered a shipment of 8.5 million cigarettes in a warehouse in the local council of West Maas en Waal in November, with a taxable value estimated at approximately €3.2 million. A month later, a shipment containing 680,000 illegal cigarettes was intercepted beneath an apartment complex in Enschede.
Another topic which is increasingly reported on is healthcare-related crime. Criminals view the healthcare sector as a lucrative source of income, with estimates indicating that billions of euros are lost annually due to fraudulent activities. While reports of fraud concerning personal care budgets were previously rare, M. received close to one hundred reports last year pertaining to the misuse of healthcare funds, falsification of credentials, and the exploitation of clients for illicit purposes. Additionally, the number of reports concerning illegal medications doubled (204 tips).
Results
According to feedback from police, anonymous tips helped track down at least 3,452 suspects last year. Authorities also seized a total of 526 firearms and 614 stabbing and bludgeoning weapons.
The importance of anonymous tips was also evident in the solved cases. For instance, three perpetrators involved in a violent robbery at a clockmaker’s shop in Zwolle were each sentenced in court to at least two years in prison. A 71-year-old man was robbed, assaulted, and threatened at gunpoint in his shop. After the case was featured on the Dutch investigative television program "Opsporing Verzocht," M. received useful tips.
M. also received information regarding a 31-year-old suspect of grievous bodily harm at De Kuip football stadium after footage aired on the investigative program. Following the Feyenoord-Fenerbahçe match in August, he and two other Fenerbahçe supporters threw a pole with a 23-kilogram concrete base over a partition wall into a crowd of celebrating Feyenoord fans. A supporter’s attendant was struck on the head and continues to experience physical discomfort.
Additionally, a 43-year-old man from The Hague was convicted for stealing a bronze horse statue from the Kurhaus in Scheveningen. Posing as a hotel guest, he removed the fifty-kilo statue from its pedestal and hid the artwork in his suitcase. The perpetrator was identified by police after a tip through M.
International efforts also proved successful. A 32-year-old fugitive from Soesterberg was arrested in Spain. He faced an international warrant and still had to serve one and a half years in prison. The arrest came as a direct result of a campaign launched by M. on Spain's Costa del Sol.
