Police raise concerns over sharp rise in weapon seizures

Dutch police seized 5,165 gas and alarm pistols, air weapons and pepper sprays last year, up from 4,080 in 2022, according to figures given to broadcaster NOS – a rise of almost 27%.

Police said they did not know whether the increase indicates that more people are carrying such weapons, or if it reflects boosted efforts to find and confiscate them.

Gas and alarm pistols are the main worry because they are hard to tell apart from real firearms, police spokesman Martin van der Meij told NOS. Alarm pistols make a loud bang but fire no projectile, while gas weapons can release tear gas.

They are cheap, easy to obtain and relatively simple to convert into working firearms, he said. A converted pistol was used to kill the crime reporter Peter R. de Vries in 2021.

Buying these weapons in Germany or Belgium and bringing them into the Netherlands is a criminal offence, though people do not always realise it.

Herman Oldenkotte, who runs a gun shop in Gronau just over the German border from Enschede, told NOS that he estimated 80% to 90% of his customers were Dutch. In Germany the weapons can be bought without a licence by anyone over 18.

Police also say more weapons are arriving by post. The Netherlands has pressed the EU for years to bring in a licence requirement or a ban.

Pepper spray is banned for civilians under Dutch weapons law. The justice ministry said in June it planned to allow permits for people at particular risk, such as stalking victims, while ruling out legalising it for everyone.