The police are finding fewer and fewer cannabis farms. Last year, 338 nurseries were closed in Brabant. This is evident from the national overview of drug locations of the police. It remains to be seen whether there are really fewer and fewer cannabis plants growing.
A national decline has been visible for years, but something is striking: Zeeland-West Brabant was the only region in the country to have more nurseries, contrary to the trend. The cause is unknown. The police cannot answer that.
Cuttings
It is also striking that on average one in three weed plugs was located in East Brabant. There were 61 nurseries with young plants nationwide. In the east of Brabant: 20. Whether that also means that the east of the province is the ‘delivery room’ of the weed is going too far.
The nurseries with mature plants are mainly in the west. There, with a little bit in Zeeland, there were 209. In the east of the province, there were 129 places with cannabis nurseries.
Nationally there were 1604 nurseries, compared to 2285 a year earlier. But that is nothing compared to 2017 when 4600 nurseries were broken up.
From a provincial point of view, most nurseries are found in South Holland (368). Closely followed by Brabant (338).
Constipated
According to the police, the decrease in the number of rolled-up nurseries has a few causes. There is too little capacity in the police. Hemp has a ‘lower priority’. In many units, the weed specialist has been cut back.
Another factor is that growers do their best to hide the nursery, for example by setting up underground cannabis nurseries. There is also less anonymous tipping.
Drug labs
The other drug figures were largely already known. Such as the number of 23 drug labs discovered, including two coke laundries in West Brabant. A ‘slight increase’ compared to a year earlier. Nationally, the police also saw an increase with a total of 105 labs. Amphetamine is the most commonly made.
The police still see the expansion of the labs to North and South Holland and the northern provinces. Often with Brabant input.
Of all provinces, Brabant has the most storage places for synthetic drugs, such as raw materials. There were 29 storage locations last year. Less than in ’21. Nationwide: 86.
Dumping
In terms of dumping (42), Limburg predominates. There were 30 in the province of North Brabant (155 nationally). That number of ‘classic cases’ of dumping of jerry cans and barrels on remote forest paths has been falling sharply since 2018. This is partly because labs discharge differently, for example directly into the soil.
Waste sometimes literally goes up in smoke. For example, a trailer near Kruisland (July) with 15,000 liters of drug waste burned out. Waste is more often left behind in labs, such as in Baarle-Nassau (November) where it burned. The experts at the police warn of the ‘devastating’ consequences of drug waste in nature.
Police experts see that the dismantling of crypto networks such as Enrochat had effects on drug networks. But that lasted barely a year and then recovery followed. Moreover: how much is never discovered and can therefore continue to run, is always the question.
Not much to say about this year. The number of labs (7 so far) is in line with last year’s trend.
Fewer weed farms rolled up, police have too little time for it
Drug industry seems to be reviving, Brabant remains at the forefront