​Dutch police are concerned the Netherlands is becoming a “narco-state”

According to a report from the Dutch police association, authorities fear that a parallel criminal economy is leading the Netherlands to become a narco-state.

As reported by the Guardian, the Dutch drug trade run by organized crime syndicates have been operating under the radar and victims are now reporting less crimes. This has led crime rates to officially be down, but the recent report states that 3.5 million crimes go unregistered each year.

With regards to drugs, specifically ecstasy, cocaine and cannabis, most of what is sold in Europe and the US originates from labs in the southern portion of the Netherlands. Also, Europol states that €5.7 billion worth of cocaine circulating in Europe each year goes through the port of Rotterdam.

This increased amount of drug trafficking, along with prostitution being legal, has led to the Netherlands apparently being promoted as a hub for drugs and illegal activity.

Interviews with 400 detectives reported by the Dutch police union state that, “the Netherlands fulfils many characteristics of a narco-state. Detectives see a parallel economy emerge.”

The Dutch police association is now asking for an extra 2,000 officers to be recruited in order to deal with the increased amount of organized crime.