A Dictionary of Dutchness

Pluk-ze

The aim of so-called pluk-ze (pluck from them) legislation is to allow justice ministry officials to seize the ill-gotten gains of convicted criminals and show them that crime does not pay. In 2008 the authorities claimed back €23.4m – just a fraction of the estimated €18.5bn which is money-laundered through the Netherlands a year. The law dates back to 2004 and is now being amended to allow the authorities to keep an eye on the finances of big-time criminals after they have served their sentence. This means crooks will have to prove that, for example, the brand new Ferrari they’re driving around in was earned from an honest day’s work.