Three Arrested In The Netherlands For Selling Ecstasy On The DarkNet

Law enforcement authorities arrested three men, aged 25, 26 and 47, in Roosendaal, the Netherlands, for allegedly selling large amounts of ecstasy pills on the darknet.

On March 30, Dutch authorities detained the three suspects for suspected trafficking in large quantities of drugs, which were sent via the national postal service to abroad countries, including the United States, Belgium, and Germany. According to police information, the alleged dealers conducted their sales on dark net marketplaces.

According to police spokesman Ed Kraszewski of the National Unit, investigators searched three houses in Roosendaal and one additional property in Schijf. Law enforcement authorities gathered a large number of evidence pointing on the sale of narcotics. In addition to that, investigators found a list with foreign addresses, which, according to the police, are the addresses of the customers. The addresses are currently transmitted to foreign authorities. During the large amounts of drugs were found, including Ecstasy pills with the Instagram logo. Investigators found the ecstasy pills in bags labeled as “fish food” and “aquarium sand”. According to the police, the logos had been used a trademark of the vendor shop. Apart from the narcotics, large quantities of packaging materials were found.

It is not yet clear how much drugs the men had sold on the dark web to their customers. The police are also investigating how long were the group engaged in the trade.

“But that was some time, it should be clear,” Kraszewski said.

The magistrate decided on Monday that the men should be kept in police custody for at least two weeks. Updates in the case should be expected soon.

Recently, the Dutch media outlet RTL Nieuws reported that criminals dealing with drugs seem to be moving their activities from the southern parts of the Netherlands to the rest of the country, especially when it comes to ecstasy. In Limburg, law enforcement authorities busted fewer drug labs last year and less drug waste was discovered than in the previous years. In Brabant, police discovered fewer narcotic labs, but more dumped drug waste. According to police information, the number of times law enforcement responded to reports of dumped drug waste in Brabant even doubled last year by an increase of 100%. The drug waste reports in Brabant represent more than half of the total of 177 responses to drug waste nationwide. But while these two provinces of the country still remain the leaders in drug-related crime, the differences are becoming less significant. As for an instance, 15 ecstasy labs were discovered in Brabant last year, and 14 in Limburg. Zuid-Holland is the third in the list, the region is not far behind with 12 ecstasy labs busted in the province in 2016. Based on these figures, law enforcement authorities believe that narcotic dealers and producers are moving their activities. The reason for the criminals’ move is because of the intensive law enforcement approach against drug crime in the southern provinces. However, the numbers are “still very high and the problem still very large”, the police added.

“The problem is more serious and deeply rooted in society than previously thought”, a police statement said regarding the case.