News item | 15-03-2022 | 07:00
The security of our logistics hubs and mainports is being stepped up in the fight against international drug smuggling. This year, Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius of Justice and Security will first invest 13 million euros in the five largest logistics hubs in the Netherlands with one-off money. At the same time, plans are now being drawn up to structurally invest more annually in further measures against abuse of our open economy by organized criminal undermining and to strengthen international cooperation against drug smuggling.
“Drug criminals abuse our open economy on a large scale. The fact that we are so easily accessible and trade with the whole world is also convenient for criminals. They earn gold with their drug trade and are not afraid of anything. This is unacceptable. Together with our seaports and airports, we want to break through and destroy these criminal structures.”
said Minister Yeşilgöz.
In the coalition agreement, this cabinet allocates extra money annually to combat organized subversive crime: rising to an amount of 100 million euros from 2025. This is on top of the 434 million euros structurally made available by the previous cabinet at the end of last year on Budget Day. for this. Before the summer, the House of Representatives will be informed about the broad approach to organized crime. Then the concrete measures will also be announced for the sustainable reinforcement of our economic infrastructure against undermining.
Minister Yesilgöz:
“We are making sea ports and airports and the international transport of flowers and plants less attractive to organized crime. I am also working on an international agenda for the future. I want to strengthen our network in the approach with other countries and their seaports and airports, because organized crime knows no borders and is not a purely Dutch problem.”
Five major logistics hubs
This year, EUR 13 million from the Prinsjesdag money will be invested in five of the following nodes: the port of Rotterdam, Schiphol Airport, the North Sea Canal area, collaborating seaports in Zeeland and West Brabant and international floriculture transport. According to national partners, such as the police, the Public Prosecution Service, Customs, the FIOD, the Tax Authorities and the KMar, the problem of drug smuggling is significant at these main ports.
– 5.1 million euros will be made available this year for the seaport of Rotterdam.
– Schiphol airport will receive 3.4 million euros for this year.
– Seaports in Zeeland and West Brabant will receive 2.5 million euros this year for their joint plans.
– In the North Sea Canal area with ports in the Amsterdam – IJmuiden region, 1.5 million euros will be invested in 2022.
– For the logistics from the flower auctions, 0.5 million euros will go into further elaboration of their plans for a more resilient floriculture sector this year.
This now concerns one-off investments that are required, among other things, for new technologies, such as in security systems with better cameras and smarter access control for areas with, for example, an iris scan, voice recognition and/or facial scan, which can be used in the coming years. Investments are also being made in raising awareness among employees in the transport world about the risks of subversive practices, such as recognizing and reporting if they are approached by criminals. The incidental resources this year are therefore preparatory to the broad plan with structural resources that is still being worked on with partners.
“We not only want to prevent kilograms of drugs from entering our country through our open economy and ports, but also to prevent them from finding their way to the rest of Europe and elsewhere in the world. That is why I am working towards a broader plan for logistics hubs in the Netherlands and on cooperation with other countries in an international agenda for the future. Together we can prevent a waterbed effect and reduce organized crime”,
said Yesilgöz.