Following the recent admission concerning his cocaine use by Dutch gymnast and soldier, Yuri van Gelder, a spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the city of Arnhem has confirmed that 98 other members of the Dutch armed forces were the subject of official reports about alleged criminal involvement with drugs in 2008. According to news agency ANP, these cases related to both soft and hard drugs, and concerned not only personal use, but also drug dealing activities and drug smuggling.

The Arnhem Public Prosecutor’s Office, which handles all military cases reported to civilian judicial authorities, is reported to have dealt with a total of 69 cases relating to hard drugs in 2008, and some 59 relating to soft drugs – a category in Dutch narcotics legislation that comprises marihuana and hashish, but also a range of prescription medicines, including various tranquillisers.

A spokesperson for the ministry of defence, quoted by ANP, said he could not confirm whether all 98 reported cases in 2008 had ended in the dismissal of the personnel concerned, but stated that immediate expulsion from the armed forces follows when hard drugs are involved, as in the self-confessed case of Yuri van Gelder. Some leniency is possible for personnel found to have small amounts of soft drugs apparently intended for their personal use.
 
Since 2008, commanders of units within the Dutch armed forces have been able to require their personnel be tested for alcohol or drug use. The tests are mandatory for the personnel concerned.

Photo of Dutch armed forces personnel - extract from original by FaceMePLS on Flickr