Millions in cash intercepted by police on Dutch roads

The Netherlands is a trading nation, owing to its good infrastructure and crucial transport hubs. Every day, large quantities of goods are imported and exported, creating innumerable transport movements. Unfortunately, criminals also take advantage of the Netherlands’ position in international trade and its excellent infrastructure, and they always need money to keep their operations going. National Intelligence, Expertise and Operational Support is – visibly and invisibly – present on our infrastructure, focusing not only on enforcement but also on combating crime.

Half a million in cash hidden in car
The FIT performs inspections of cars on our motorways, and arrests drivers who are found transporting large sums of money. The FIT seized EUR 8.2 million in cash in 2024, and a total of EUR 46.8 million in the past five years. It is not uncommon for members of this team to find tens of thousands of euros in a single vehicle, but last year they also encountered cars that contained half a million or even a million euros in hidden cash. Sometimes the money was discovered in secret compartments, sometimes it was simply found in a suitcase in the boot. People do not normally carry this much cash around unless there is a special reason, but for criminals it is part of a common method of money laundering. Money transports are often related to drug trafficking, but they also play a role in underground banking systems. FIT colleagues who discover the money will arrest the suspect and seize the cash. The punishments meted out vary from community service to imprisonment for an average term of one year. By seizing the money, we hit criminal organisations where it hurts, but the information and results of FIT inspections are also used by other police teams, for instance in investigations into forms of financial crime or for developing strategies for fighting organised crime groups.

Money, drugs, and firearms
The FIT targets problems such as money laundering, drug trafficking, and arms trafficking. During inspections, the colleagues will also look for indications of healthcare fraud or bank helpdesk fraud, for example when a person is carrying a large number of different bank cards. In 2024, the team arrested 879 persons, and demanded the surrender of almost 100 driving licences. In addition to cash, FIT also tends to discover other illegal goods in the inspected cars. In the past year, their finds added up to 1,400 kilos of hard drugs, 860 kilos of soft drugs, and almost 9,000 ecstasy pills. The team also observed illicit trade in medicines, i.e. outside legal medical prescribing and dispensing procedures, seizing more than 22,000 illegal pills this year. Further, large quantities of laughing gas, and about a dozen firearms and ammunition were seized.

Picking out criminals from a crowd
FIT colleagues patrol the motorways in the Netherlands day and night, and most offenders are caught red-handed when our colleagues stop them after spotting a suspicious vehicle and deciding to inspect it. Their experience and expertise enable them to pick out a criminal from a crowd. For example, they will look for suspicious driving behaviour and clues related to the time and location of a vehicle, and use their knowledge of certain types of vehicles that have previously been found to have secret compartments. In addition, FIT colleagues take part in inspections carried out in collaboration with colleagues from the Infrastructure domain and the regional police units.