With seventeen drug labs dismantled in 2021, fewer drug finds have been made by the police than in previous years. Nevertheless, Brabant is still number one as a drug province and many remarkable discoveries have been made in recent years. These are the five most remarkable drug finds in a row.
Despite the fact that the number of finds has decreased in recent years, drug production in our province is still high compared to other regions. But how did Brabant become a drug province? That is explained in this video.
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In addition to large drug labs, drug discoveries have also been made in strange places in recent years. Five notable discoveries:
Largest cooking kettle in Overloon
The largest cooking kettle in the province was found in Overloon in June last year. In the kettle 2600 liters of amphetamine could be boiled. The lab, which was located next to a house, also contained tubes, coolers, hoses and large vessels that are more often found in an amphetamine or speed lab. The lab was discovered thanks to messages from the chat app Anom. The FBI and Australian police have set up this chat service to trap criminals.
Hemp nursery behind bookcase
In March 2021, the police made a special find in Oss. A cannabis farm was hidden behind a bookcase. Not just any one: in the secret room were 637 plants that were almost ripe to be harvested. There were also 645 cuttings in the attic. Power and water were illegally tapped for cannabis cultivation.
Largest drug lab Wouwse Plantage
In the summer of 2020, a drug lab with a cooking capacity of 6000 liters was found in the outskirts of Wouwse Plantage. The lab had four cooking kettles, each with a capacity of 1500 litres, which is an exceptional capacity. The discovery was made after the barn that housed the lab burned down.
Drug boat with reusable drug waste
In May 2019, officers on the ship Arsianco discovered a floating drug boat in the village harbor of Moerdijk. The production of crystal meth was handled professionally in the lab. This way the drug waste could be reused, something the police had never seen before. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service (EOD) had to intervene because of the risk of explosion. The EOD detonated the waste in a safe place.
Biggest dumping ever in drug pit at nature reserve
Forest ranger Erik de Jonge discovered a drug pit in the forest of the Brabantse Wal nature reserve in March last year. Afterwards it turned out to be the largest drug dumping ever in the Netherlands. Criminals discharged huge amounts of chemicals into the ground for a long time via an underground well. The well is said to have been found next to a drug lab. About 2500 cubic meters of soil has become contaminated in the nature reserve and that has still not been cleaned up. Together with the owner of the land, Brabants Landschap, the province is drawing up a plan for cleaning. This takes a very long time ‘because it is a complex operation’.
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