Opioid problems rising in the Netherlands…

The Netherlands is facing increasing problems with opioid addictions.  The number of people booked into rehab clinics for painkiller addiction tripled between 2012 and 2018.  Professor Albert Dahan said that thousands of Dutch are addicted to severe pain killers.  The number of people in the Netherlands who use heavy medication increased from 650 000 in 2010 to 1 million in 2017 according to the Foundation for Pharmaceutical Indicators.

https://nltimes.nl/2019/07/29/opioid-problems-rising-netherlands-thousands-addicted-painkillers

Heat Wave in Netherlands Disables Double Decker Trains

The Dutch National Railway company (NS) warned travelers that it had to run reduced services on some routes during the heat wave.  Technical problems were affecting 28% of its double decker trains.  Two hundred and fifty engineers were working around the clock in an effort to get the trains back up and running.

https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2019/07/fewer-trains-and-slashed-services-as-heat-adds-to-technical-problems/

Chaos at Amsterdam airport

A fuel supply fault grounded many of Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on July 24^th.  Thousands of passengers have been stranded at the airport due to the cancellation of flights.

https://aeronauticsonline.com/fuel-issue-grounds-flights-at-amsterdam-schiphol-airport/

More and More Dutchmen Victims of Rabies

The alarm center Eurocross increasingly receives announcements from Dutch travelers who are afraid that they have been infected with rabies after they had been scratched by a dog, cat or monkey.  In 2016, there were 163 inquiries.  In 2017, 264.  In 2018, 342.  Most cases came from Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

https://www.ad.nl/buitenland/steeds-meer-meldingen-van-nederlanders-getroffen-door-hondsdolheid~a61d8e40/

Extreme Political Reactions against Salafists in The Hague

Politicians in The Hague were shocked by the disclosures about Salafist youth workers taking control of a youth center in The Hague. The leader of the Christian Democrat faction, Danielle Koster, said ‘We achieve with our community money and the knowledge of the intelligence services the opposite of what we want to achieve.’  Geert Wilders, parliamentary leader of the populist party, tweeted: ‘Arrest all the scum. Put them in detention or expel them from the country.’

https://www.ad.nl/den-haag/politiek-diep-geschokt-door-is-invloed-op-haags-jeugdwerk-zet-er-desnoods-het-leger-op~a38377a6/

Salafist radicalization of neighborhoods in The Hague

The police are extremely worried about the radicalization of the mainly Muslim neighborhoods, Transvaal en Schilderswijk in The Hague. Youth workers publicly say that they are Salafists and tell youngsters to be good Muslims. The police do not dare anymore to share information about problematic youngsters because they are afraid that this information will fall into the wrong hands.

https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/de-marokkanen-nemen-in-dit-buurthuis-de-boel-over~ac9d342f/

Tens of Problematic Policemen Suspended

In the past weeks, various police units have suspended tens of policemen, partly because of lack of integrity and partly due to breach of confidentiality.  One of the most severe cases was that the gang of leading criminal, Ridouan Taghi, had bought a senior policemen in Utrecht.  That policeman has been fired.  Within the police there are major concerns about the integrity of policemen.  This can be found in a confidential police report.  Already in one region, central Netherlands, criminals have access to 19 corrupt contacts among the authorities.  The national police cannot investigate all information because of capacity problems .  The report says that what is known is probably the tip of the iceberg.

https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/tientallen-schorsingen-bij-politie-om-integriteitszaken-topje-van-de-ijsberg~a5f7154f/

Leading Daily: Tax Authorities Turn Decent People into Criminals

Chasing fraudulent recipients of social help leads to the tax authorities turning decent people into criminals.  This was said by Wierd Duk of the Netherlands daily, the Telegraaf.  He says it is one more example of the failure of the authorities.

https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/832473387/overheid-criminaliseert-keurige-belastingbetalers

Amsterdam: Inquiry at Islamic School over leaked footage of preacher

Education inspectors have started an investigation at Amsterdam’s only Islamic secondary school as there were claims that a pupil was suspended for allegedly filming teachers in class.  A recent clip showed a teacher presenting a clip of Salafist preacher Fouad el Bouch to the children.  A

report by the intelligence service, AIVD claimed that el Bouch was influencing the school curriculum. This could not be confirmed by education inspectors.

https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2019/07/new-inquiry-at-islamic-school-over-leaked-footage-of-preacher/

Minister: 13 million Euro Dutch Subsidies Disappear in Mali

The Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag, has written to parliament that 13 million Euro Dutch help provided for the Mali state budget between 2005-2015 are unaccounted for. These monies were incompletely controlled by the Mali government and there are suspicions of fraud.  She expressed this concern to the prime minister of Mali, Boubou Cisse.  He responded by saying that fighting corruption is a priority for him.

https://www.ad.nl/politiek/ruim-13-miljoen-euro-steun-voor-mali-verdwenen~a799f3c7/