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The Netherlands: International cooperation Bill

01 March 1991

The Dutch Cabinet has agreed to a bill to facilitate international police and judicial cooperation against organized crime. Also illegal profits made in other countries can be confiscated in Holland. The bill is a result of a Council of Europe treaty on combating money-laundering operations. Several prominent Dutch police officers such as the head of central criminal intelligence (CRI) Mr J. Wilzing have recently demanded an increase in international police cooperation. An executive European police would not be needed but a central European criminal intelligence organization was seen as a high priority. In his New Year's speech Wilzing stated that Europe was in danger of losing the fight against organized crime. Colombian drugs cartels like Medellin and the much more powerful Cali organization are getting a firmer grip on drugs trafficking to Europe. He cited a recent U.N. research claiming that some 500 000 000 000 guilders were made in the drugs trade yearly. Confiscation of hash in Holland raised from 14 071 kg (1989) to 90 010 kg (1990). Cocaine confiscations tripled from 1 425 kg (1989) to 4 288 kg (1990) the highest in Europe. Drugs production is however not limited to Latin American and Asian countries: Poland has recently worked its way up as the top producer of amphetamines. Holland will be chairing the EC in the second half of 1991. In that period minister of justice Ernst Hirsch Ballin intends to come with a proposal on the foundation of a European Criminal Information Exchange Bureau to improve cooperation in the fight against drugs trafficking and other forms of crime.