Ten (former) soldiers arrested for possession and supplying hard drugs

On Monday morning, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee arrested nine soldiers and one ex-serviceman for possession and supply of hard drugs outside of duty. The service announced this on Monday in a press release. One soldier was arrested in Germany, the others at barracks in Doorn, Amersfoort, Hilversum, Oirschot and Schaarsbergen. The Marechaussee does not rule out new arrests. Last week the Marechaussee arrested even four soldiers for hard drug possession.

Earlier this year, one of the soldiers arrested on Monday was caught using hard drugs at a festival. Police officers of the military police, charged with investigating criminal offenses committed by the military, then searched the telephone of the caught soldier. Then the other arrested soldiers also came into view. They not only possessed hard drugs, but also provided them to other soldiers, a spokesman for the Marechaussee said to the newspaper. NRC.

Military drug use is a recurring problem. Last week, the Marechaussee reported that four other Dutch soldiers had been arrested for drug possession. When it comes to drug use, the Ministry of Defense applies a so-called zero-tolerance policy: one mistake and you are out. In the meantime, at the urging of former defense minister Henk Kamp (VVD), the Ministry of Defense has started to search soldiers preventively, partly because of its ‘deterrent effect’.

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