Fake Drug Dealers In Amsterdam Accoste And Swindle Tourists
Posted on: maart 8, 2016
The authorities are failing at squelching the problems with fake drug dealers in Amsterdam. In the center of town, dealers turn to ever more aggressive methods to swindle tourists.
Fake Drug Dealers Run Rampant in Amsterdam
Intimidation, threats, robbery and swindling’s. Fake drug dealers in Amsterdam and customer satisfaction don’t go hand in hand. They represent a serious problem for the municipality. In the last fifteen months alone a total of 1,208 street dealers were arrested for selling fake drugs. Together they were responsible for 4,857 incidents, of which 3,051 concerned the selling of fake drugs.
We spotted this prevention sign in a flower shop in the city centre – hanged by the owner to warn tourists.
Tourists Are The Targets
Most victims are men in the ages between twenty and forty years old. They predominately come from Germany and Great Britain looking for a weekend of the “the Amsterdam experience”.
A tab of XTC or lines of cocaine are a part of that. But those vital elements sometimes turn out to be something completely different. XTC/ MDMA turns out to be aspirin, a gram of cocaine: baking soda.
Non-Drug Using Tourists Are Victims Too
The fake drug-dealers don’t only double-cross those tourists who are looking for drugs. Especially in De Wallen & on Rembrandtplein en Leidseplein random tourists get accosted in an aggressive manner. Sometimes they even will be forced to buy drugs. It’s not out of the ordinary for such “deals” to end in a classic street-robbery.
Authorities: Stop Fake Drug Dealers In Amsterdam
The authorities want to end the troubles with fake drug-dealers. However, the call for harsher penalties bumps into legal objections. Dutch drug laws for instance, do not apply to the selling of fake drugs. The public prosecutor doesn’t believe a separate law against fake drugs is feasible. So far dealers usually get a couple hundred-dollar fine. A maximum prison sentence of six weeks is set for the most extreme cases.
Anti-drug campaign in 2014 from local government of Amsterdam.
Prevention Is The Solution
Because of the inadequate legal tools the authorities are implementing a preventative approach, both on the supply and demand side of the problem. Tourists will be warned against street-dealers via short movies and posters. In the same way the public was informed during the killer white heroin scare in 2014. Strategic communication must make the ‘tourist trap’ visible. Besides this, tourists will be encouraged to press charges. Something tourists mostly refuse to do because of fear of getting a fine themselves.
On the supply side the authorities will apply the “personal approach” to the predominately young fake drug dealers in Amsterdam. Young criminals will be monitored from an early stage to prevent them from ending up as a fake drug dealer.
Mystery Tourists in Amsterdam
The authorities are also considering the use of “mystery tourists”, officers who look and act like potential victims.
Did you enjoy this article? Others who read this article also read: FAQ – How do I book a tour with a local guide? en 10 Tips for Using Drugs in Amsterdam
5 Responses to Fake Drug Dealers In Amsterdam Accoste And Swindle Tourists
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Don’t buy drugs off the street. Anywhere!
Never buy of the streets
Don’t buy off the street simples .?
It’s the age old thing in Amsterdam. Because soft drugs are widely accepted but there is still a market to be filled with drugs like cocaine and ecstasy. Like people have said, DONT but off street dealers, but if you have a trusted source, make sure you still get your ‘stuff’ checked and verified (I believe there are testing facilities where you can check the quality of your drugs)
It’s a wonderful city. Enjoy it, but be safe!
Wow totally fake drugs? Not saying it never happens in the U.S. but normally fake XTC is atleast research chemicals or amphetamine. Everything else varries from what I hear. We do finally have legal weed in a few states. The THC content can be chart topping. With XTC always get from somebody you watch take it and have fun. And always test before you ingest, it only takes one time to get a deadly batch with PMA in it.