Journalists and lawyers under protection or murdered on the streets, court hearings guarded by the army, witness statements anonymised, and billions in dirty drug money that leaches through society, corrupting as it goes. This, shockingly, is the Netherlands.
The mayors of Amsterdam and Rotterdam are warning of a “culture of crime and violence that is gradually acquiring Italian traits”, with record amounts of intercepted drugs at the port of Rotterdam, extreme violence that often kills the wrong target, and up to €30bn ($31bn) a year laundered through property, cannabis “coffee shops”, tourism and bars.
Allegations that the country, better known for tolerance and fiscal frugality, has the characteristics of a “narco state 2.0” are being taken extremely seriously. Politicians, fearing that public order is being undermined, have spent €500m in…