The public prosecution department wants to introduce tougher drugs controls on post heading abroad.

The department says synthetic drugs such as amphetamines and ecstasy are often shipped abroad by post, in particular to France, Germany, Australia and Britain.

Australia now considers all packages from the Netherlands as suspect and each one is checked as a precaution, broadcaster Nos says on Tuesday.

The public prosecutor wants postal firms and customs officials to work more closely together in stopping suspect packages and says sniffer dogs should be used to check post more often.

Weapons and child pornography are also often sent by post, Nos says.

Police and justice ministry officials from 25 European countries, plus the US, Australia and Norway are meeting in the Dutch seaside resort of Noordwijk this week to discuss how to tackle illegal and secret internet markets, such as Silk Road.

When Silk Road 1 and 2 were dismantled by the FBI, they found tens of thousands of orders had been placed by Dutch sellers. They estimated the Dutch trade accounted for more than €32m and that Dutch sellers did 10% of the business on Silk Road 2, the public prosecution department said in a statement.