Inside Europe's ‘ketamine capital' so flooded with drug it can be found in sewers as violent gangs cash in on ‘loophole'
As organised crime tightens its grip, traffickers are transforming an iconic city into what could become a full-blown 'narco-state".
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A ketamine stash worth tens of millions of euros was uncovered by police - thought to be the 'largest ever' haul
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An armed cop outside a court case where a Dutch 'drugs mafia' case was being heard
Credit: AFP/GETTY
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Brit Jennifer Young, 33, was arrested after flying to Mexico from Amsterdam with 13kg of ketamine
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Ketamine is strengthening its grip on the hugely popular city of Amsterdam
Credit: Getty
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Mayor Femke Halsema has issued a stark warning: "Without a fundamental change of course, the
If change doesn't come fast, 'violence will reach an all-time high", she added.
The city is no longer just a tourist haven with famously relaxed
Instead, it's becoming a hub for global trafficking networks - where violent drug syndicates launder money, exploit legal loopholes and draw in children as young as 14 to work as drug "collectors".
Halsema described the situation as "mopping with the tap running".
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But what was once a niche club drug, Ketamine is now one of Europe's fastest-growing illicit substances - and postcard friendly Amsterdam is now a leading global hub for the crisis.
One in four party-goers aged 16 to 35 in the city reported using ketamine in the past year, according to official data.
Some are monthly or even weekly users.
In the short-term, users can feel its euphoric effects, hallucinations and as though they are floating - taking too much can leave some in a comatose state known as a k-hole.
Ket had me peeing every 2 seconds
Those taking the drug long term or addicts can suffer from damage to their nasal passageways, liver and kidneys, with some having bladder issues - in large doses, the drug can also be fatal.
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Users who have kicked the drug
Officials in Amsterdam have noted a shift in user behaviour - with the mayor's office revealing that the use of ketamine at home "has been rising over the years".
This aligns with reports from emergency services, who say incidents involving ketamine are steadily increasing.
Festival medics are also reporting more emergency cases.
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Police on a drugs raid in Amsterdam where Ketamine has become a huge problem.
Credit: Politie Eenheid Amsterdam
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Dutch cops say they are targeting the source of Ketamtine problem
Credit: Politie Eenheid Amsterdam
And hospitals in Amsterdam are seeing rising numbers of patients suffering from ketamine-related
'We do see a rise in the number of clients that report to substance use treatment facilities due to problems with ketamine,' the mayor's office said.
The number jumped from 94 cases in 2018 to 440 in 2023.
And amid this surge, criminal groups are cashing in.
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Ketamine's dual status - legal for medical use in countries like the Netherlands and Austria - but illegal for recreational use - makes it ideal for smugglers.
Traffickers exploit the medical supply chain, disguising shipments as legitimate pharmaceuticals before they vanish into the black market.
Chief Inspector Peter Jansen, a drug expert from the Dutch police, said it's challenging for authorities "to backtrack" and find the source of ketamine shipments.
According to Mayor Halsema's office, it's one of the key enforcement challenges.
Ketamine falls under medicinal law rather than narcotics legislation.
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This creates a "legal grey area" that allows it to be imported under legitimate pretences - for veterinary or pharmaceutical use - and then diverted for illicit sale.
This loophole - paired with inconsistent drug classifications across Europe - severely hampers enforcement and cross-border cooperation.
Belgian and Dutch cops said that the more countries ketamine passes through, the more complex it is to investigate - requiring cooperation among
With its extensive
City officials said: 'The Netherlands functions as a transit hub, processing point, and export gateway in the global drug trade, including ketamine-related activities.'
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Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema
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Aerial view of container dock and fuel storage tanks, Amsterdam
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Ketamine is running rampant in Amsterdam (file photo)
Credit: BBC
Recent seizures around Amsterdam confirmed the city's involvement not just in trafficking, but also as a storage location for large volumes of the drug.
In January 2024,
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It was dubbed the largest ketamine haul in Dutch history,
Officers discovered other hard
Two children found at the property were taken into emergency care.
Authorities warned that the ketamine trade is often tied to wider criminal activities, including money laundering and weapons possession.
Elsewhere, traffickers used even more elaborate methods.
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In 2023, customs officials discovered a verified shipment of ketamine travelling from Schiphol Airport to Brussels had been swapped for salt mid-transit.
The drug is believed to have been taken into the black market using forged documents and a labyrinth of fake companies, the
This is an epidemic. Some criminal gangs are now making more money from ketamine than cocaine
Marc Vancoillie
Belgian investigators said they identified at least 28 similar cases that year, with around 28 tonnes of ketamine disappearing along the way.
"This is an epidemic," Marc Vancoillie, Belgium's drug enforcement chief, said.
"Some criminal
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Ketamine cases are often uncovered as part of broader anti-drug investigations, the mayor's office explained.
Nationally, between 900 and 1,000 criminal probes into organised drug crime occur annually.
Ketamine tends to appear as 'bycatch' in cases involving synthetic drugs or poly-drug operations.
However, the city noted a relative rise in synthetic drug cases in 2023, likely linked to large-scale ketamine seizures.
Brit drug mule
The fallout from Amsterdam's booming ketamine trade is being felt far beyond Dutch borders.
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In 2023, British former beauty queen Jennifer Young, 33, was arrested in
She was
Young's story is part of a wider trafficking route: ketamine is manufactured legally in countries like the Netherlands before being diverted into illicit markets as it heads for the UK or the Americas.
Smugglers are increasingly relying on front companies to receive legal shipments, which they then funnel into illegal distribution chains.
Others use
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In one case, Belgian police traced a rented van back to a short-term let in Staden and uncovered 480kg of ketamine, 117kg of cocaine, and 63kg of heroin.
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Eight British nationals were later charged, according to the BBC.
The impact of ketamine's rise isn't just being seen in hospitals and courtrooms — it's showing up in the water supply.
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A 2024 European wastewater analysis found Amsterdam had the highest average ketamine levels in the Netherlands, with daily readings more than double those of Rotterdam or Utrecht.
The figures from the
Amsterdam's liberal drug policies were once seen as a model for Europe.
What are the effects of ketamine?
KETAMINE is a dissociative anaesthetic known for its unique effects on consciousness, perception, and mood.
Recreationally, ketamine is used for its mind-altering and euphoric effects.
Users often experience vivid hallucinations, altered perception of time and space, and a feeling of floating or disconnection from their body—commonly referred to as a 'K-hole' at higher doses.
These dissociative experiences can be pleasant and dreamlike for some, but disorienting or frightening for others.
Recreational use usually occurs in club or party settings, where ketamine is sought for its psychedelic and numbing effects.
Physically, ketamine can cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as side effects like nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, and impaired motor coordination.
At higher doses, users may become unresponsive or experience complete dissociation from reality.
But the rapid evolution of the illegal trade has exposed the limits of leniency and left the city at a crossroads.
Halsema insisted that the solution is not to abandon the Netherland's user-focused approach, but to push for global reform.
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She said that international drug laws — driven by prohibition — are helping, not hindering, the growth of violent trafficking networks.
The mayor's office also noted: 'Amsterdam's international reputation as a tolerant city is often based on misconceptions.'
The coffee-shop model creates the false impression that all drug use is tolerated - while in reality the city strongly opposes illegal trafficking.
Amsterdam's appeal to traffickers, they added, lies more in its advanced logistics and financial systems than in local policy.
But for now, Amsterdam is feeling the consequences firsthand: record seizures, soaring use, international smuggling routes, and criminal money seeping into the legal economy.
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