Dutch Farmers Increasingly Targeted by Drug Traffickers Amid Economic Struggles

Dutch farmers facing economic challenges are increasingly becoming targets for drug traffickers seeking to use their land and outbuildings for illegal drug production, according to security experts and recent reports. Criminal gangs involved in producing cannabis, crystal meth, and cocaine are exploiting financially strained farmers and vacant retail spaces across the Netherlands, offering cash or using threats to secure locations for their operations.

This alarming trend mirrors the scenario depicted in the hit Netflix series Undercover, where the fictional Belgian ecstasy producer Ferry Bouman (played by Frank Lammers) uses rural warehouses and farm outbuildings to mass-produce MDMA. However, in reality, this practice has become so widespread that drug labs are being discovered almost daily, as noted by Fokko Mellema, an independent security expert, in a statement to The Times.

“Criminals are looking for all kinds of locations to host drug labs,” Mellema said. “It is a growing problem.”

Farmers, particularly those struggling under stringent European climate and nitrate regulations, are seen as vulnerable targets. In some instances, traffickers approach farmers under the pretense of legitimate business deals, offering substantial sums of money for the use of barns or other outbuildings. However, once these agreements are made, farmers find it nearly impossible to extricate themselves from these criminal enterprises.

Marbel de Graaf, who operates a herbal farm in Wieringerwerf, recounted how she was approached by a man claiming to need space to store pianos. Her suspicions were aroused when the man showed little concern about the barn’s condition. “There are enough farmers in dire straits,” she remarked. “Then a proposal of quick money sounds tempting. But once you say ‘yes,’ you will never get rid of them.”

The LTO-Noord farmers organization has been actively warning farmers about the dangers of becoming entangled with drug traffickers. Gaby de Ruiter, a former police officer associated with the organization, emphasized the importance of vigilance. “All farmers need to be alert and vigilant. No one should be so naive as to think this cannot happen to them,” she told The Times.

De Ruiter educates farmers on identifying the telltale smells associated with drug production, such as acetone, which is indicative of cocaine processing, or the spicy scent of cannabis. She advises that any such odors should immediately raise concern.

Authorities have also warned farmers about the severe legal consequences of leasing their properties to criminals. Farmers who unknowingly facilitate drug production on their land could face charges as accomplices, along with the potential for intimidation and violence if they attempt to sever ties with the criminals.

A survey conducted by the newspaper Het Parool revealed that nearly one in three farmers in the northern provinces of the Netherlands had been approached by drug traffickers. The drugs produced in these rural areas are primarily destined for markets in Amsterdam, Germany, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.

In 2023, Dutch authorities uncovered 151 sites where drugs such as ecstasy, amphetamine, or crystal meth were being produced, as well as locations where heroin and cocaine were processed. These drug labs pose significant risks, with ten fatalities reported from explosions and fires in the first half of the year alone.

Local governments are taking action where possible. In the 14th-century port of Hoorn, the mayor recently exercised special powers to shut down a business park site that had been converted into a drug lab. The discovery was made after Mellema reported suspicious late-night activity involving white vans.

Despite the growing threat, law enforcement has had some successes. This summer, three individuals were arrested and sentenced after a crystal meth lab was discovered at Landgoed Twickel, a historic estate in Twente. The lab had been set up under the stables of a riding school, hidden within the idyllic surroundings.

Mellema urged farmers to be cautious of seemingly lucrative offers. “Criminals like to give you an offer you can’t refuse,” he said. “If the story is too good to be true, it often is.”

As Dutch authorities continue to intensify their crackdown on drug-related activities, the focus remains on preventing traffickers from exploiting vulnerable rural communities.

By fLEXI tEAM