MAASTRICHT - Limburg seems to be in high demand again lately by criminals involved in the production of xtc and amphetamine in illegal laboratories. This is evident from yet another find in the south of our country of dumped chemicals used for the production of xtc pills.

Twenty jerry cans containing xtc waste were found yesterday in Munnichsbos nature reserve in Sint Odiliënberg, northern Limburg. Vapor was released from one of the jerrycans. Earlier this week it was also a hit in Venlo, where dozens of barrels containing thousands of liters of drug waste were dumped, and in Roermond, pallets were discovered with barrels of chemicals from a drug lab on them.

The police are investigating whether these cases are related. According to Marcel Heuvelmans, a criminal lawyer from Venlo, the production of xtc in Limburg has recently increased substantially again due, among other things, to the high margins that can be earned by selling these pills. "There is just money to be made again, I understand from the world. With the production of ecstasy, this can apparently be done quite easily and quickly. Not a lot of risks need to be taken for this."

By that, Heuvelmans says he is referring to the places where a drug lab is set up. "Often this is in a shed or barn that people have rented. Those pills are made there in a short time and then quickly put on the market. In addition, there is no need to drain electricity as with a hemp plantation." The number of drug laboratories in Maastricht and the surrounding area has also been increasing considerably recently. "I notice that from the cases we receive," says attorney Serge Weening.

Recognizable

"The fact that so much xtc waste has been dumped in Limburg in recent weeks also shows that production has increased again. After all, criminals are not going to drive far with a van full of drums, because the smell of the raw materials used is very recognizable. Therefore, they often choose a forest in the region. It is worth noting that a substance like apane is used more for the production of ecstasy. That stuff is easier to obtain than, for example, a previously more commonly used substance like bmk," said Weening.

The defendant(s) in this case are assisted by: