The police in Rotterdam are investigating a house not far from Central Station. Explosives have been placed near homes in various places, including in the center, in the past year. Image ANP
Judging from the figures, explosives are experiencing a breakthrough in the Dutch underworld this year. In 2023, the police registered a total of 716 incidents, compared to 228 a year earlier. Many explosions took place especially in the Rotterdam region, including Schiedam and Vlaardingen. This was followed by other major cities, such as Amsterdam and The Hague. Relatively few explosions were counted in East Brabant and Limburg.
Before the corona crisis, hand grenades were a popular means of intimidation among criminals. In only a few cases were they detonated. From 2017 to 2019, the number of incidents involving hand grenades increased from 22 to 61 per year. Fewer incidents occurred during the corona years. Since 2022, the police have noticed a shift to other explosives.
The Dutch Forensic Institute (NFI), which investigates material used in explosions, had already noticed the increased use of flash powder. The increase is probably because criminals can obtain the fine, gray mixture – which has a greater explosive power than gunpowder – relatively easily. “Cobras (illegal fireworks, ed.) are popular, but there are many more items that contain flash powder,” says explosives expert Jan Dalmolen at the NFI.
In addition, criminals risk a lower sentence if they are caught with illegal fireworks. Possession of these carries less severe penalties than possession of hand grenades, which fall under the Weapons and Ammunition Act.
European leader
The police suspect that the Netherlands is now a European leader in the use of flash powder in attacks and attempts at intimidation. In Antwerp, an important port city like Rotterdam and therefore relatively comparable, the number of attacks actually decreased last year. Antwerp police boss Yve Driesen recently said to the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws that the majority of the clients and executors for these attacks came from the Netherlands.
It is difficult for the police to track down the criminals behind the many explosives placed. The perpetrators are often young and usually do not know the client. More than half of the arrested suspects were younger than 23 years old. About one-tenth of the suspects are minors. Contact between implementers and clients mainly takes place via social media.
To stop the increase in explosives placed, the House of Representatives called last summer to restrict the trade in flash powder. To achieve this, a motion was submitted to include Cobras and flash powder under the Weapons Act, which was met with European regulations. The Senate is currently considering this.
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2024-01-11 04:00:03
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