Apartment boarded up in Amsterdam IJburg because of drug find

For the first time in the Netherlands, an apartment has been closed and boarded up because drugs were found.

The police had found 450 kilogram marihuana (with a value of EUR 1.5 million) in the residence, and on the basis of anti-drugs legislation the mayor of Amsterdam decided to close the apartment and board it up.
The proximity of a primary school was one of the reasons to close the apartment down.

Although using soft drugs, having a small amount on you for private use and selling them in coffeeshops is tolerated in the Netherlands, the production and trade is strictly illegal.

Closing residences if drug trafficking is suspected is a power recently added to the anti-drugs legislation. It was already possible to close down cafes, clubs and shops on these grounds.

The apartment is located at Diemerparklaan, in a brand new neighbourhood on IJburg, the newly built complex of islands in Amsterdam-East. The apartment will be closed for 3 months.