Police in Brabant, Limburg and Gelderland have arrested five people in a string of dawn raids across the three provinces as part of a major investigation into drugs-related crime.

The five are suspected of trading in illegal chemicals and drugs – the south of the Netherlands is considered to be the centre of the ecstasy trade.

Four of the five men, aged 28 to 57 come from Geldrop. The other suspect is a 27 year-old man from Venlo. Specialised firearms teams arrested the oldest and the youngest man, who were both said to be ‘armed and dangerous’.

A year ago the mayors of five cities in the southern province of Noord-Brabant called for the use of ‘unorthodox and innovative measures’ to combat the growing drugs crime problem in the region.

The situation is so serious that the rule of law is being undermined and society is being seriously damaged, the mayors and the province’s king’s commissioner said.

Vijf aanhoudingen gedaan in drugsonderzoek #Geldrop #Venlo en invallen op een tiental locaties #Helmond #Someren #Venray #NieuwBergen #Velddriel. Volg de actie via onze facebookpagina @politieob https://t.co/e05EXh2Nzw pic.twitter.com/Xcjra6jpMf

— Politie Oost-Brabant (@politieob) January 31, 2018