In the Netherlands, the phenomenon means that there is a huge trade in drugs and large quantities of synthetic drugs are manufactured in the country. Legitimate businesses are run by criminals, money is laundered on a large scale, local politicians are threatened or blackmailed and corruption is growing.
This has driven up house prices and made it more expensive to live in the Netherlands, say experts. In recent years, the rule of law has also been put under pressure through, among other things, the murders of a lawyer, the brother of a Crown witness and a journalist.