Absolute record find

3.2 tons of crystal meth seized in Rotterdam

(Bild: AFP/AFP (Archivbild))

Dutch authorities have seized a record amount of 3.2 tons of methamphetamine with a street value of 22.4 million euros at the port of Rotterdam. 

It was "the largest seizure of crystal meth in the Netherlands to date", according to the public prosecutor's office. The drug had been hidden in a "sandy substance that was heavily contaminated with copper and PFAS".

Cargo from Mexico
Customs officials discovered the huge quantity of the synthetic drug known as crystal meth at the beginning of March in a cargo that had arrived in the port of Rotterdam from Mexico and was to be brought to the southern Dutch town of Den Hout.

The facts

• Methamphetamines are similar to amphetamines, but are much stronger and more addictive. The drug, also known as "yaba" or "ice", is sold in the form of crystals, powder, capsules or tablets.
• The abbreviation PFAS stands for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds, a large group of synthetically produced molecules. They are known as "eternal chemicals" as they are practically indestructible and therefore accumulate in nature and in the human body.

Due to the contamination of the methamphetamine, it took four months for the authorities to find a way to safely destroy the confiscated drugs. The discovery has therefore only now been made public.

55-year-old arrested
A 55-year-old man was arrested in Den Hout in connection with the drug smuggling. He has since been released, but is still a suspect in the case.