Dutch marijuana is becoming less popular now that more countries are moving towards legalising the drug, but the Netherlands remains a “crucial hub” in the international drug trade, police have said in a new report on drugs and criminality.

The police dismantled some 1230 illegal marijuana plantations last year compared to three times as many as in 2019 but that may also have to do with a lack of staff and a shift in police priorities, they say.

Foreign marijuana is also making inroads into the sale of home-grown marijuana, including from Canada which legalised weed growing in 2018.

Nevertheless, the Netherlands remains a big player in the international drugs trade, for cocaine in particular, the report said,

More cocaine has been intercepted in the Netherlands, Spain and Belgium, which are the main points of entry for the South America drug. Dutch customs officials seized almost 60 tonnes of cocaine at ports and airports last year,

However, traders are extending their activities to include other European ports, the report said. Cocaine seizures are, for example, also up at the Dutch port of Vlissingen.

At the same time, synthetic drug production is increasing in the Netherlands, with so-called “combilabs” equipped to make both ecstasy and crystal meth. “This enables criminals to quickly react to demands for different types of drugs,” the report said.

New synthetic drugs, such as 3MMS and ketamine continue to gain in popularity.  The production of pink cocaine, or tuci, usually a combination of Ketamine and MDMA is also “here to stay”, the report’s authors say.

Drug traders were also found to diversify, selling not just drugs but illegal medication, cigarettes or guns.

Criminal networks are closely linked, in many cases  sharing the same storing facilities, production locations or facilitators, police said. “Everyone seems to be connected to everyone else, both nationally and internationally.”