EU synthetic drugs conference.

[Alfa]

Dutch XTC market shrinking


The Dutch XTC market seems to be declining as far as production and consumption. Other countries are taking over. While the production and consumption of XTC declines in the Netherlands, the production and consumption of amphetamine stay the same. From 2003 there is a incline in dismantled amphetamine labs. In 2003 there where even more amphetamine labs dismantled, thanXTC labs. In 2002 there where more amphetamine labs dismantled then in any other EU country.This news was presented at the Syndec confention on synthetic drugs in Maastricht. Here is more info on that:


On 22 and 23 November 2005, Dutch law enforcement agencies and ministries, in close co-operation with their colleagues from Belgium will be organizing a conference on synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals:


The first SYNDEC conference was organized in October 2003 and focussed on the whole chain of the synthetic drugs process from production to consumption. The main objective of SYNDEC II is to discuss how law enforcement agencies can develop and strenghten several kinds of (inter)national operational co-operation and be able to apprehend more criminals that are involved in the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs & precursor chemicals.


The programme will consist of plenary morning sessions during which (inter)national keynote speakers will make presentations. During the afternoons, discussions will take place in interactive workshops. Subjects to be discussed include how to improve international information exchange and operations, the best way of dealing with differences in regulations and legislations, methods of investigation and improving national and international co-ordination of synthetic drugs issues.


During the workshops, experiences obtained from (international) criminal investigations will serve as a guideline for discussion. Each workshop will last approximately fifty minutes and will be conducted by two or three panel members.The panels will consist of people with practical experience in working for services such as the Dutch and Belgian Police, the National and Federal Public Prosecution Services, Customs & Excise Services, the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service-Economic Investigation Service (FIOD-ECD) and investigative authorities from other countries such as the Police of Hong Kong, Australia, Poland and the INCB.


Participants may choose to attend three of the four workshops each day. The conference is intended for representatives of Law Enforcement Agencies, Public Prosecution Services and policymakers.


1. No synthetic drugs without precursors
(precursor chemicals/investigation workshop)
The majority of the most important illegal precursors for the production of synthetic drugs originate from China. These precursors are smuggled into Western Europe via Hong Kong and other countries. Insight into organised crime in this area is gained from studying a particular case.Which measures can the police and the judiciary put into action, what are the problems that arise and how successful is co-operation between the autorities involved?


• Mr G. Ligtvoet, Team leader, National Crime Squad, Southern Netherlands Unit, the Netherlands
• Mr H. van den Boom, Senior Investigator, the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service-Economic Investigation Service (FIOD-ECD)
• Mr Chan Wa-Shing, Superintendent of the Hong Kong Police, Hong Kong


2. Risk analysis on precursors and synthetic drugs, success or coincidence ?
(Customs workshop)
Each year, millions containers of goods enter the Netherlands and Belgium.The amount of outgoing goods and the stream of passengers is huge.At border controls, so-called risk analyses are used.What has been experienced/discovered so far through these analyses ? Have achievements been made or is it merely a matter of coincidence? How can risk analysis be improved? In this case, is data mining (comparison of information from the police and customs), a possibility for improving risk analysis?


• Mr J. Schreijer, Senior Intelligence Officer, Customs Intelligence Centre, the Netherlands
• Mr D. Verdickt, Case Officer, Customs and Excise Investigation Department Antwerp, Belgium
• Mr B. Maes, Inspector, Customs and Excise GAD Team (Anti Drugs Group), Zaventem, Belgium


3. A good neighbour is better than an absent friend.
(investigation Belgium/the Netherlands workshop)
Co-operation between Belgium and the Netherlands is a natural occurence.After all, both countries are important producers of synthetic drugs. But to what extent can opposing interests influence an investigation and what are the consequences of this? The assessment of an independent investigation has brought to light positive and negative experiences.What is a conceivable solution to this?


• Mr G.P.N.Robben, Public Prosecutor, National Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Netherlands
• Mr T. Lamiroy, Federal Prosecutor, Federal Prosecutor’s Office, Belgium


4. Down Under, yet close by
(export Australia workshop)
Australia is currently the largest consumer market for XTC. Large quantities are smuggled from the Netherlands and Belgium to Australia in an ingenious way. Speed in exchanging information is essential to be able to act quickly. It is not only distance that hinders co-operation. Examination of a case enables you to gain insight into the respective judicial systems and the strategy to be followed.


• Mr H. Dekker, Team leader of the Zeeland Regional Police Force, the Netherlands
• Mr K.Mansfield, Federal Agent, Australian Federal Police (AFP) Sydney Office, Australia





Wednesday 23 November


5. The only legal XTC laboratory
(presentation)
Within the framework of Syndec II, a synthetic drugs laboratory has been set up on location. The process of raising awareness of chemical substances, instruments and syntheses is intensified by visualising the production of synthetic drugs.


• Mr A. Coppens, Expert in clandestine laboratories, National Crime Squad, Southern Netherlands Unit, the Netherlands
• Mr B. Goovaerts, Chief Inspector, Central Office for Drugs, Federal Police, (member of the Labo Intervention Team (LIT), Belgium


6. Dismantling illegal laboratories and ... criminal organisations
(safety workshop)
Public order and safety, environmental damage, transportation of chemicals and also securing evidence for the purpose of the criminal investigation, require painstaking agreement between the various parties responsible for these various activities. Close cooperation between the various parties involved is a must.The LFO (National Dismantling Facility) ten-step plan familiarises workshop particpants with this subject.


• Mrs A.L.C. Roelofs, Director Fire Services and Department for Medical Assistance in Accidents and Disasters, Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Netherlands
• Mr J. van den Hove, Co-ordinator of the National Dismantling Facility (LFO), National Crime Squad, the Netherlands


7. XTC and amphetamine production, exclusively for the Netherlands and Belgium?
(workshop based on three threat assessments)
Periodic threat assessments allow criminal investigation authorities to make strategic decisions when tackling synthetic drugs crime. The linking of three threat assessments (of the Dutch National Crime Squad, the Belgian Federal Police and the Dutch Fiscal Information Service and Economic Investigation Service) therefore offers insight into all aspects of the logistic chain of the production and trade in synthetic drugs. In what way can threat assessments be used to steer development of a specific approach?


• Mr S. Huisman, Researcher in Operational Expertise, National Crime Squad, the Netherlands
• Mrs C.M.M. Vanhyfte, Strategic Analyst for the Federal Police, Belgium
• Mr P. Veltman, Strategic Analyst for the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service-Economic Investigation Service (FIOD-ECD), the Netherlands


8. Co-operation is down to PEOPLE
(EU borders workshop)
The importation of precursors also takes place regularly via new EU member States. Good personal contacts are vital for co-operation. Social-cultural differences,which could impede the criminal investigation, are bridged by an intensive personal approach. A case is used to demonstrate that successes are archieved by mutual trust, combined with a professional approach.


• Mrs I. Kieres, Chief Inspector of the Central Bureau for Organised Crime, KGP CBS Police,Warsaw, Poland
• Mr K. Kwiatkowski, Senior Sergeant of the Central Bureau Drugs Department, CBS Police, Gdansk, Poland
• Mr J.J.T. Op de Locht, Commissioner of Police, Head of the GDA Drugs Unit, Hasselt,Belgium


www.syndec.orgEdited by: Alfa

[Freak_]

Originally Posted by Alfa

5. The only legal XTC laboratory
(presentation)
Within
the framework of Syndec II, a synthetic drugs laboratory has been set
up on location. The process of raising awareness of chemical
substances, instruments and syntheses is intensified by visualising the
production of synthetic drugs.


• Mr A. Coppens, Expert in clandestine laboratories, National Crime Squad, Southern Netherlands Unit, the Netherlands
•
Mr B. Goovaerts, Chief Inspector, Central Office for Drugs, Federal
Police, (member of the Labo Intervention Team (LIT), Belgium</font>

nice to read

They're gonna have a party there ;-)

.Only a joke, I hope they'll work not only against synthetic drugs.

[robertone]

Originally Posted by Freak_

nice to read

Only a joke, I hope they'll work not only against synthetic drugs.

Forget it Freak_! Those people are hardliners. The old squad, which had a much more open view, doesn't exist anymore. Only in the Dutch government there are a few left and all who are against hars druglaws should support them! Nota bene; criminals like hars laws, the harser the law the more money they make!

This Dutch police Unit Synthetical Drugs (USD) came fort out of US American support and subsidization because the American authorities (read DEA) didn't like the official Dutch point of view. Already for years the USD try to make there own laws by prosecuting all activities of which they conclude that it should been forbidden, even when there's no law against it. At my opinion this is totaly against the principle of the "trias politica"!

In some cases they [ab]used the dutch law on national health to prosecute drugs that aren't under the effect of the dutch law on drugs! This lead the the grazy situation that maximium sentence on producing illical drugs is eight years, but fifteen years on drugs that are disliked by the USD and not mentioned in the law!

[Alfa]

That's interesting info Robertone. Do you have more info on this intrusion of Dutch souverenity?

[robertone]

I do have more information and will also publish it in time!