The team visited a total of 7 companies at the Royal FloraHolland hub in Honselersdijk on Wednesday, October 8, and spoke with entrepreneurs and employees. The approach was preventive: introductions were made and information was shared. It is known that criminal networks misuse international ornamental horticulture transports for the transport of their own goods such as narcotics and cash. Therefore, possible vulnerabilities in the logistics process were also examined. Companies reacted mostly understandingly and appreciated the fact that this approach focuses on collaboration, sharing signals, and keeping the sector safe, rather than just sanctioning.
In addition to the company visits, a transport control was conducted on Thursday, October 9. A total of 19 trucks and 5 other vehicles were checked. Several reports were made for, among other things, driving with a flagged drivers license and using a mobile phone while driving. Additionally, a driver was flagged because a verdict had to be issued to him, and a report was made to the NLA regarding two companies/drivers because they were not working according to the rules or are not employed.
Together for a strong sector
“Supervision is part of it if you want to remain a strong sector,” said Dennis, the polices constant face at the auction site in Honselersdijk. “These company visits help to identify risks and act in a timely manner. We want to help companies do their work safely. And only tackle those entrepreneurs who do things that are not ‘acceptable’. Together we keep the sector safe and resilient.”
Resilient Ornamental Horticulture Sector
Organized crime tries to exploit the ornamental horticulture sector and the people working in it. For example, for smuggling narcotics and labor exploitation. This colorful sector is vulnerable to criminal involvement due to its international character and its fine-grained logistics. Therefore, among others, the Police, Public Prosecution Service, Tax Authorities, Customs, Royal FloraHolland, and the municipalities of Westland, Katwijk, Uithoorn, and Aalsmeer work together to combat undermining crime and abuses. Together we want to thwart criminals and make companies in the sector resilient. We do this, among other things, by sharing knowledge, promoting supervision, control and enforcement, increasing willingness to report, and raising barriers.
Police Force
Source published: 14 October 25
Company Visits in the Ornamental Horticulture Sector: Preventing Criminal Involvement
Gebied: Westland
A number of transport and export companies based in Westland received visits from the police last week. The Westland police team carefully planned several visits with a focus on prevention and engaged with entrepreneurs about safety and criminal involvement.