VZCZCXRO0805
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTC #1013/01 1510624
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 310624Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9285
INFO RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0488
RUEAWJB/DOJ WASHDC
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC
RHEHOND/DIR ONDCP WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 THE HAGUE 001013 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR INL, EUR/ERA, EUR/PGI, EUR/UBI 
ONDCP FOR CHARLOTTE SISSON 
DOJ FOR OIA 
DEA HQS FOR OEE, OIE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PINS PREL NL
SUBJECT: DUTCH INTENSIFY FIGHT AGAINST SYNTHETIC DRUGS 
 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  The Justice Ministry policy memorandum on planned measures 
against the production, trade and use of synthetic drugs, submitted 
to Parliament May 11, outlines the Dutch government's objectives and 
strategies to combat ecstasy and other synthetic drugs over the next 
several years.  The policy memorandum is a follow-up to the 
2002-2006 "Plotting against Ecstasy" plan.  The new policy measures 
will include enhanced law enforcement efforts to combat the 
production and trade of synthetic drugs; vigorous drug use 
prevention and information efforts; and closer international 
cooperation.  An evaluation of the "Plotting against Ecstasy" plan 
indicates that it has had positive results, but notes that synthetic 
drugs are still being produced in the Netherlands and ecstasy is 
still widely available on the domestic market.  End summary. 
 
Combating Synthetic Drugs Remains a Priority 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  On May 11 Justice Minister Hirsch Ballin sent Parliament a 
policy memorandum on "Continued Measures against Synthetic Drugs as 
of 2007," along with a final assessment of the "Plotting against 
Ecstasy" plan.  Hirsch Ballin noted in his introduction to the 
memorandum that production, trade and use of synthetic drugs had 
national and international consequences in terms of both public 
health and crime, and that it gave the Netherlands a negative image 
as a producing country.  Therefore, the National Crime Squad, 
regional police services, the public prosecutor's office, customs, 
the FIOD-ECD fiscal and economic control services, the KMar military 
police and the Dutch Forensic Institute have given the combat 
against synthetic drugs top priority.  The new strategy will give 
particular focus to diversions of chemical precursors for synthetic 
drug production, a strong prevention and information campaign, and 
closer international cooperation.  Hirsch Ballin noted that the 
updated synthetic drug strategy was consistent with the new 
government's February 2007 coalition accord, which identified 
fighting organized crime, including drug crime, as a priority 
objective. 
 
¶3.  The Justice Ministry's policy memorandum on countering synthetic 
drugs includes the following measures: 
 
Precursors and Hardware 
 
- Increased investments by police and the FIOD-ECD fiscal and 
economic control service in investigations of the production 
process, including chemical precursors and tableting machines.  The 
National Crime Squad will consult with tableting machine producers 
to report suspect deliveries; 
- Intensified cooperation with chemical precursor source countries 
(China, Eastern Europe and Russia); 
- Continued cooperation with Europol, including information 
exchanges on seized hardware, such as tableting machines, pressure 
barrels, glassware and boilers; 
- Increased attention by Dutch and foreign customs services to new 
smuggling routes across eastern EU borders. 
 
Production and Trade 
 
- High priority by police and the prosecutor's office on combating 
criminal organizations involved in the trade and distribution of 
precursor chemicals, and the purchase of production hardware; 
- High priority by police and prosecutors to fighting criminal 
organizations that finance illegal business activities, control 
production processes, and engage in international synthetic drug 
trade; 
- Increased financial investigations aimed at asset seizures in 
money laundering cases; 
- Enhanced multidisciplinary cooperation among all enforcement 
organizations (National Crime Squad, the National Forensic 
Institute, the National Laboratory Dismantling Facility, FIOD-ECD, 
Customs, KMar and Europol). 
 
Trade and Distribution 
 
- Increased inspections on smuggling routes for synthetic drugs and 
chemical precursors; 
- Increased information exchange among EU enforcement agencies; 
- Continued controls by the Schiphol team on ecstasy couriers 
traveling to the US.  Since 2006, the number of ecstasy couriers 
arrested appears to be rising again. 
 
Information and Research 
 
THE HAGUE 00001013  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
- Increased information campaigns about the health risks of 
synthetic drugs; 
- Quantitative research about synthetic drug users' habits to 
improve intervention efforts. 
 
International Cooperation 
 
- Continued active participation in operational cooperation within 
the EU; 
- Continued, and if necessary, intensified, bilateral cooperation 
with the US (in the context of the Next Steps agreement), Australia, 
Canada, and Russia; 
- Implementation of measures to fight illegal production and trade 
in safrol, a chemical precursor for ecstasy.  The Netherlands and 
the U.S. have taken the lead in combating methamphetamine production 
worldwide, within the context of the UN's PRISM project. 
 
Financing 
 
The additional funds of 18.6 million euros per year, which were set 
aside for combating ecstasy during previous five-year period, will 
be continued. 
 
Final Evaluation 2002-2006 Ecstasy Strategy 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  The third and final assessment of the 2002-2006 "Plotting 
against Ecstasy" strategy, conducted by the Justice Ministry's 
independent research center (WODC), concluded that the five-year 
policy plan was very effective.  The WODC concluded that: 
 
- Cooperation among investigation and enforcement services has been 
improved; 
- Dozens of investigations were initiated, leading to the arrest of 
hundreds of suspects; 
- More than 20 million ecstasy tablets and thousands of liters of 
chemical precursors were seized; 
- 130 production labs were dismantled; 
 
¶5.  The WODC noted that there are clear indications that the 
production of synthetic drugs in the Netherlands has dropped but has 
not been eliminated.  At the same time, it notes that factors other 
than Dutch enforcement policy may have played a significant role in 
the decline.  There still is a users' market in the Netherlands for 
ecstasy.  The price of ecstasy tablets has remained stable and 
relatively low and purity has remained relatively high throughout 
the five year period.  Although the popularity of ecstasy seems to 
have peaked in certain parts of the western world, there are a 
number of significant emerging markets, resulting in continuing high 
demand. 
 
¶6.  According to an official in the Justice Ministry's drug policy 
department, the new policy measures reflect the government's 
commitment to fighting the production and trade of synthetic drugs. 
Despite the positive results over the last five years, the 
government concluded that although some production has shifted to 
other countries, the continued production of ecstasy in the 
Netherlands warranted the intensification of the anti-ecstasy 
strategy.  Since the new measures outlined in the "Continued 
Measures" policy memorandum do not require a change in law, 
parliamentary approval is not needed. 
 
¶7.  According to DEA contacts, some of the funds for implementation 
of the new strategy will be used to establish an additional Dutch 
national police (KLDP) liaison officer overseas to focus 
specifically on ecstasy; Canada and Australia reportedly are among 
the countries where the new position may be established.  In 
addition, some of the funds will be used to continue funding the 
Dutch national police (KLDP) liaison officer position in Washington, 
D.C. 
 
¶6.  Comment.  A revised strategy to extend and enhance the 
coordinated effort initiated in 2001 to combat the production, 
export and consumption of ecstasy and other synthetic drugs has been 
anticipated for some months.  The comprehensive policy measures laid 
out in the policy memorandum are a welcome sign that the Dutch 
government remains committed to stepped-up efforts against ecstasy. 
Particularly positive is the explicit focus on international 
cooperation (including with the United States), multidisciplinary 
cooperation among Dutch investigation and enforcement agencies, and 
targeting organized crime groups, which contributed to the 
improvement in Dutch anti-ecstasy efforts in the last five years. 
 
 
THE HAGUE 00001013  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
Arnall