Why the Mexicans choose the Netherlands?

Andy Kraag, head of the national criminal investigation department: "On average three thousand drug-related murders are committed in Mexico every month. Due to the enormous corruption, the cartels have free rein. The production of crystal meth is limitless and now much higher than the demand from the most important market, the United States. The Mexican drug cartels are looking for a new market. Europe is one of those markets, alongside New Zealand and Australia. "

The Telegraaf revealed earlier this year that Mexican 'meth chefs' had been arrested for the first time in an ongoing drug investigation. That is the name of the men who produce synthetic drugs in labs. Sometimes under dire circumstances. "This year we picked up Mexicans in three investigations. It may well be a kind of 'freelancer', but they are related to the Mexican cartels, "says Kraag.

Cooperation with cartels
The chief of the national criminal investigation department is convinced of the close cooperation between mainly Brabant criminal organizations and Mexican cartels. "The Mexican chefs do not come here on their own. There are alliances. They don't tell the police anything. The conditions for production are favorable here. Labs can easily switch from other synthetic drugs to crystal meth. The lines for the supply of raw materials already exist, the hardware for production is already there and if you get caught here, the penalties are relatively low. ”

"The conditions for production are favorable here."
But how does a Brabant pills farmer (ecstasy producer) come into contact with a chef from, for example, the Sinaloa or El Chapo cartel? "That is fairly easy. Sometimes parties already know each other from a drug environment, sometimes it goes through. Then there is a physical meeting once and then everything goes through encryption telephones. For example, criminals from Brabant came into contact with criminals in Australia and set up a good line for the MDMA drug. ”

Dangerous and lucrative
This investigation resulted in a series of arrests in both countries this fall and the capture of amounts of MDMA worth many millions of euros. "But the Australians are much more concerned about crystal meth. The drug is considerably more dangerous and is gaining popularity. Crystal meth delivers ten times as much there and here as MDMA or XTC. ”

The Netherlands is mainly a production country, but sometimes also transit country for crystal meth or 'ice', as it is also called. In June the criminal investigation department discovered 2500 kilos of meth in a Rotterdam warehouse with a staggering street value of several hundred million euros. The party was probably destined for another country, such as Australia.