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1 16 CANNA - One less thing to worry about ad.pdf 5 2-7-2025 13:19:08
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DUTCH CUSTOMS SEIZED 60,000 KILOS OF CANNABIS IN 2025
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Nuova Strain Special all'interno
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Dutch customs seized 60,000 kilos of cannabis in 2025. That's more than four times as much as in 2024, when 14,500 kilos were seized. Not surprisingly, most of the cannabis comes from the United States, Canada, and Thailand. That a record was on the horizon wasn't all that surprising to regular coffeeshop visitors. After all, the supply of imported cannabis is extensive. It's funny, though, that customs, in their press release, finds it "striking" that Photo credit: Dutch Customs (Douane) "the countries of origin are usually the same: the US, Canada, and Thailand." cannabis. Previously, it was well-hidden, for example, in steel benches. But now they don't This isn't surprising, of course, because cannaeven bother to hide it anymore." bis is legal in those countries (Canada, Thailand) or only partially legal (the US). The majority of "Cannabis smuggling is the smuggled cannabis was found in the port consuming a lot of resources" of Rotterdam: approximately 52,000 kilos. In Nanette van Schelven, Director General of the port of Vlissingen, 1,000 kilos were found in Dutch Customs, says that cannabis smuggling four seizures. At Schiphol Airport, nearly 6,000 is consuming a lot of resources: "Not just ours, kilos of cannabis were found in air freight, and but also our investigative partners'. After all, a almost 1,500 kilos were intercepted during customs officer can only be deployed once. The passenger checks. Customs also noted a huge time a customs officer spends intercepting canincrease in Belgium, Germany, and Spain. nabis cannot be used for other tasks. We need to explore, together with investigative partners, Earlier this year, customs reported several seihow we can handle this major development." zures. Even in a jar of peanut butter (18 grams!). Customs reports: "Where cannabis used to be Customs officer Pascal agrees: "The seizures hidden in things like sofas, criminals are now of- are getting bigger and bigger, and we're practen sneaking it in huge quantities, undisguised, tically running out of eyes to properly inspect into one or more pallets or containers." everything. And it's now arriving from all over the world. For example, we used to know that Customs officer Pascal gives an example. He South America was a risk area, and we could and his colleagues recently found over 600 check more closely. But recently, for example, kilos of cannabis in a warehouse at Schiphol we had a shipment from the US that arrived Airport. "We were doing a regular check and at Schiphol via Germany, containing hidden stumbled upon a few large boxes. As soon as cannabis. I've never seen anything like this we opened them, we found the packages of before. We're all keeping a close eye on it, but
it's simply getting out of hand!"
Collaboration with Canada and the US Dutch risk analysts are now in regular contact with their colleagues in Canada. Erin O'Gorman, president of the CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency): "Canadian customs is working closely with Dutch customs and intercepted approximately 14,000 kilograms of cannabis intended for smuggling from Canada to the Netherlands in the first nine months of 2025." An agreement was also reached with US customs last year. A customs attaché will be stationed in Washington, D.C., in February 2026. Van Schelven: "We also want to strengthen cooperation with European customs services. We participate in coordinated actions within the EU to combat cannabis smuggling. Because we have the free movement of goods within the EU, a collective approach is necessary." The best collective approach we recommend? Full legalization of cannabis in the EU and the rest of the world. Then customs can focus on more important matters! (HL)