Mayor calls for crackdown on lawless trailer parks

Tuesday 23 October 2012

The mayor of Waalre, south of Eindhoven, has called for a nationwide crackdown on lawlessness at trailer parks, saying he has had enough of the intimidation.

Henri de Wijkerslooth says in the latest issue of local authority magazine VNG he backs taking a tough line on residential caravan parks and other ‘lawless’ settlements.

It is wrong that people living in these areas ignore the rules that apply to everyone else, De Wijkerslooth says.

Warehouses

The trailer parks look well-cared for and luxurious but most people live on benefits, he said. On one camp, there is one registered company but 10 large warehouses. ‘We don’t know what is going on there,’ the mayor is quoted as saying

Finance ministry investigators on Monday raided a residential caravan site in Waalre in connection with the import of thousands of kilos of a chemical which can be used to make amphetamines, the public prosecution department said.

It is illegal to import Apaan (alpha-phenylacetoacetonitrile) into the Netherlands without a licence.

Watches

The search also uncovered €5,500 in cash and a kilo of caffeine, which is used to cut drugs.

Other raids in connection with the investigation last week led to the arrest of a 26-year-old man and a 30-year-old man from Eindhoven. They have been remanded in custody for two weeks. The raid on the 30-year-old’s home netted €24,000 in cash and five valuable watches.

The two are suspected of importing some 600 kilos of Apaan from China via Frankfurt airport every two weeks, the public prosecution department said.

© DutchNews.nl