News 1

Dutch law enforcement were able to dismantle a significant number of illegal drug laboratories and facilities, including a torture chamber set up in a container, to arrest the leaders of several criminal groups, to prevent contract killings and disrupt other criminal activities. For criminologists these developments provided important information on trends in transnational organized crime and new illicit markets in Europe in general and the Netherlands in particular. Especially important are the new data on the facilitating role of Rotterdam seaport in regard to cocaine trafficking. Richard Staring’s contribution to this Newsletter provides a detailed explanation on how the Rotterdam port acquired its leading position as a cocaine-hub in Europe.