The Dutch government is investing €100m in operations to crack down on illegal drugs trade and organised crime.

Justice minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus announced more details on the coalition government measure in a parliamentary briefing on Thursday.

Most of the money – €85m – will be distributed to regional organisations, and the rest will be spent on national action.

Criminals are thought to reap the most cash from producing synthetic drugs, cannabis and transporting heroine and cocaine. ‘Organised criminality undermines society,’ the report acknowledges.

Cash not chat

Mayors told the Volkskrant on Friday that they supported the new drive. Jan Boelhouwer, mayor of Gilze and Rijen, said: ‘Making this budget available is above all an acknowledgement of the problem. We have been working on this for some time and believe that Brabant will come up with a good plan.’

The mayor of Almelo, Arjen Gerritsen, reportedly pointed out that they don’t need any more workshops, information points or symposiums.

‘The point is to get money to individual municipalities now so that they can invest in their legal and administrative capabilities,’ he told the Volkskrant.