News item | 10-11-2023 | 20:52
Customs may use semi-automatic weapons to shield and secure drug seizures. The use of weapons is necessary because there has been a clear increase in the severity of violence associated with drug crime. In addition, there are indications that criminals are hinting at the recovery of seized drugs. The weapons can be deployed by specially trained customs officers from the Special Assistance Team (TBB) of Customs.
Customs has been noticing an increase in drug crime in and around Dutch seaports for some time now. More than 50,000 kilos of drugs were intercepted in the port of Rotterdam in 2022. In addition, there are increasingly clear indications of threats from criminal organizations surrounding the customs process. State Secretary Aukje De Vries (Benefits and Customs): “Customs officers do everything they can day and night to combat drug smuggling. This is not without risk, because criminals are becoming increasingly aggressive. It is very important that customs officers can continue to do their work safely and resiliently. It is therefore an important step that certain customs officers now have access to semi-automatic weapons. The fact that this armament is necessary also shows how our people unfortunately find themselves on an increasingly tough front line against organized crime.”
At the request of the State Secretary for Allowances and Customs, the Minister of Justice and Security will have the customs officers charged with shielding and securing seized drugs equipped with semi-automatic shoulder-fired weapons. The use of these weapons can be used, for example, in the case of the transport of drugs and to secure open areas in the port when it takes a long time to unload drugs from containers. In addition, the better armament ensures that the safety of customs officers and port staff can be better guaranteed.