An additional 17 kilos of drugs have been found in a Dutch athletes car at the Sziget music festival in Hungary. Last week, police discovered huge amounts of ecstasy and marijuana being sold from a tent site leading to the arrest of two Dutch men.
Hungarian police have now released footage of the mammoth drug bust, said to be the largest in the history of the festival.
Two Dutch males are in jail and have been refused bail after being accused of selling mass quantities of drugs to the festivals 100,000 ticket-holders. Judging by the footage it was going to be one hell of a party.
Who are the alleged dealers?
One of the males is reportedly Dutch rising star sprinter, 21-year-old Roelf B, who represented the Netherlands at the European Championships Under 23 last month.
But, he won’t be able to run away from this mess, as he and his 22-year-old business partner will now be facing the possibility of life in prison if Hungary brings charges of drug-trafficking against the pair. If the charge is downgraded to drug-dealing they’ll be staring down a maximum sentence of 8 years. That’s a loooong festival.
See the accused Dutchies be forced to watch as a Hungarian drug dog searches a van with NL licence plates:
The men allegedly brought 20,000 doses of drugs to the festival, with an estimated worth of around €300,000.
What happens in the video?
A dog searches through a van. Police officers open packages and bags, moving hundreds of pre-rolled joints and tiny zip-lock baggies into evidence containers. A bag with a ‘Team NL’ logo is brimming with pills.
Thousands of price lists are also stacked inside the car, advertising ecstasy pills for €15, a gram of weed for €25, and a pre-rolled joint for €15.
What’s your opinion on taking drugs at festivals? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured Image: Hungarian Police. Screenshot of video.
Lowlands is this weekend and has an outstanding line up – Parcels, Jungle, Loyle Carner, Tame Impala and ASAP Rocky (conviction pending) just to name a few. But fortunately or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it) ticket prices have crashed due do the bad weather forecast. Hundreds of previously eager festival frothers are now flogging their tickets for under half the original value.
The festival begins this Thursday in Biddinghuizen, a village in the municipality of Dronten. The 60,000 tickets for the festival sold out in March of this year for 210 euros. Now there are over 600 tickets being flogged for as little as 118 euros on re-sale sites such as TicketSwap.
De wisselvallige voorspelling voor komend weekend betekent wel mooi dat je nu al het hele weekend #LL19 kaartjes kunt scoren voor ongeveer €150 op TicketSwap, zaterdag dook de prijs al even naar €130.
One festival goer, 27-year-old Maud bought two tickets for 275 euros each a few weeks ago. “It was really worth it to me. My joy was enormous when I managed to get tickets after two weeks of searching” she tells RTL. She is hugely disappointed that the prices for the tickets have now crashed. Well, at least it’s not Fyre Festival, Maud!
Source: Ostrovsky on Pixabay
Other festivals are on this weekend, such as Decibel Outdoor, NOS reports. However with 55,000 admission tickets only 320 are on re-sale for that festival. Does that speak volumes about the crowd being ‘tougher’ than lowland-goers?
If you are headed to Lowlands festival, I suggest you get on with it and adopt these practical measures:
Je tent goed neerzetten, niet op een laag gelegen stuk. Regenjas of poncho. Stevige schoenen, die nat kunnen worden. Oude kleding. En verder veel lol met modderglijden vanaf de Alpha heuvel
Sick of being on a train to the nowhere? Hearing a garbled announcement come over the loudspeaker and being expected to wait patiently for god knows how long? Drumming your fingers on the seat next to you praying for the train to slowly creak away?
NS has been plagued by recent delays in the Randstad and during the spring in Leiden. Now, the passenger organisation Rover is calling for things to change. And boy, we couldn’t be more on board!
Now look, we dutifully accept that train delays are just an unfortunate part of life. However, Rover told De Telegraaf far more can be done with how NS and ProRail handles the issues. According to the organisation, passengers are left ‘miserable’ when delays occur and communication is poor.
A New Train of Thought
Rover has offered advice to NS suggesting that if delays were managed better they wouldn’t be as much of a problem for passengers. When maintenance must be done Rover suggests allowing longer trains to run during work and to reward people if they avoid rush hour (sleep-ins? Yes please!). But more importantly, they say passengers must be kept well-informed of any delays.
Werk aan het spoor is soms noodzakelijk, maar de reiziger moet hier zo min mogelijk last van hebben. Wij zien hier ruimte voor verbetering, lees onze aanbevelingen:https://t.co/ssYouxz54Y
Rover Director Freek Bos says NS has a responsibility to update the Journey Planner in advance of the adjusted timetable for the entire duration of the work. “The worst thing is when travellers are surprised by train failures and delays,” he explained. “Carriers must use all means of communication so that everyone can prepare. Customisation is needed for mega jobs.”
Payday for a Train Delay
In cases where travellers are severely disadvantaged, such as with the upcoming works at Leiden, Bos says financial compensation should be given to passengers. NS, surprisingly, agrees:
“We agree with Rover. But if the government and ProRail choose to work more often during the day due to personnel problems and cost savings, then they must also provide financial compensation for travellers, “says a spokesperson.
Bos says the upcoming work at Leiden is a chance to put the plan into action. “From Thursday, work will again be taking place at Leiden. We now want to learn a lesson,” he said.
Have you experienced a long train delay? Been inconvenienced by works on track? Let us know in the comments below!
We hear that the housing market in Amsterdam might be cooling down, so it might be a good time to start looking for your next dream home. And since the ‘How To Buy A House’ people are back with a whole new FREE event this might just be the perfect time to get on with your house-buying-in-Holland plans!
Why go to the ‘How To Buy A House’ event?
If you have decided to buy a house in the Netherlands, congratulations! You’re taking that first step towards building a life here. Whether you’re looking for somewhere your kids can make long-lasting memories in, or if you just want a whole house to yourself, this step is definitely going to change your life. So it would be a great idea for you to consult with some experts, right? And that is exactly what this FREE event is for: it is to bring expats like you in contact with local Dutch experts who know everything there is about buying a house in the Netherlands. It is specifically designed for you, so be rest assured that all the representatives there will not only know English but other languages as well.
You’ve sold me on it! When and where is it happening?
It’s going to be held at Restaurant-Moer in Amsterdam on September 9 from 18:00 to 21:00. It is meant to give you all the information you need about buying a home in Amsterdam so if you’re looking in the area, don’t forget to sign up here.
Here is just some of the stuff you can receive information on:
Buying a home in Amsterdam
How to get a mortgage
Dutch law
Notary services
Bank products
Construction work
Tax advice
Great, I need help with all of that. But who will be present there?
Of course, you should also know who’s going to be there so that you can prepare to ask your questions in advance. Here’s the list of representatives who will be present to give you all the information you need:
Burgemeester Vastgoed (local Amsterdam real estate company) – to discuss in-depth knowledge about the Amsterdam and Utrecht market
Expat Mortgages (mortgage advisors) – to discuss your mortgage and finances. We also teamed up with them to bring you this top-notch article on the housing market in the Netherlands in 2019.
Kasper Notariaat (solicitors) – discuss the ‘buying a house’ process
Welcome! We’ve settled well into our new office at PLNT and now we need your assistance to help us expand our online presence! That means we need your clicks, likes and shares!
Social media has become a vast wasteland where you see original content for a split second before your feed refreshes and it’s gone for good. Unfortunately, your DutchReview content could get buried under a dozen photos of your friends’ world-record burrito trophy (that you just have to know about). However, if you want to stay informed about the goings-on in the Netherlands there’s a way of staying up to date with DutchReview. Facebook wants you to click “see first” on pages you’ve already liked, otherwise, you may not see 50% of our posts.
But don’t worry! There’s a quick fix so that you can keep getting your fix.
Please help us out there, it’s how we can keep everything fun and free:
Facebook – actually see our stuff
There are two ways to follow DutchReview on Facebook depending on what kind of device you use. If you want to ensure that you see all DutchReview news first from your phone (you really should, otherwise only our mums see this) these are the following steps:
Open the Facebook app from your phone
Go to the DutchReview page
Click on the three dots in the top right corner
Choose “Following” from the menu
Choose the option “See first”
Prefer using Facebook on your computer or laptop instead? Here is the fix:
Go to your Facebook
Go to the DutchReview page
Right under the cover photo, click on “Following”
From the drop menu choose the option “See First”
Yes, a happy doggo meme will be seen then 😉
These changes to your Facebook setting will ensure that DutchReview articles are always a priority on your feed, whenever you’re scrolling through Facebook.
But wait! There’s more! Did you also know we have a Facebook group? At our DutchReview Facebook Group members are able to communicate freely with one another. Often important topics are discussed within the group, you can ask any Dutch related questions if you have any, and if you’re in need of any good suggestions the members of the group are happy to help as well. It’s an international-friendly community created by DutchReview just for you! To find it, simply log into Facebook and search for DutchReview – Group and voilà!
Instagram
If you’re not following us on Instagram already, what the hell are you waiting for? We share some pretty awesome photos from the Netherlands and keep our followers updated some of our awesomest (that’s totally a real word) articles. You just simply have to find our Insta profile @dutchreview and click on the blue “Follow” button.
And if you want to make sure you stay updated, you can also ask Instagram to send you a notification whenever we post a new amazing photo. Simply go to the three dots on the top right of the app, and once the new menu pops out to choose the options “Turn on post notifications” and “Turn on story notifications”.
Twitter
In case you didn’t know, we also have a Twitter. Yes, there you can get updates on the hottest articles of the day! You can find us on Twitter at @dutchreviewing and simply click on “Follow”. Also, just like with Instagram, you can get notifications whenever we tweet. Simply go to the 3 dots icon once again, and click on “Turn on mobile notifications”.
YouTube
Did you know DutchReview also has a YouTube channel? You can find us as DutchReview on YouTube and subscribe to our channel to see all the cool videos we post on there. From social explainers about the Netherlands, to videos on how to learn Dutch. Our YouTube channel is awesome (but yeah, we need some more subs there really). Once you’ve subscribed to us, you can also get notifications whenever we post a new video by simply clicking on the bell icon next to the subscribe button.
So there you have it! All the ways in which you can follow DutchReview on social media! Share this one wide and far and follow us on as many platforms as you can, we really need your support and Donald Trump will shoot one puppy less every time we get a new follower!
Don’t forget to comment too here or on Facebook, because we love a good conversation on any topic!
A weather report.. yet again! Although perhaps slightly more interesting this time.
The stormy weather over the weekend alleviated any guilt I usually feel from staying indoors gauging on FEBO and watching YouTube. However, some Dutchies had a much more eventful weekend when a rare tornado whipped through Amsterdam, the AFAS stadium roof collapsed and a code yellow warning was issued by KNMI.
The Tornado
Tornados are rare in the Netherlands, which is why residents of Amsterdam were shocked when a whirlwind appeared on Friday evening around 9.15pm. Thankfully, the tornado didn’t cause any injuries.
An investigation into the collapse was launched by the Dutch Safety Board shortly after. The Football team AZ have begun their own independent investigation as well.
Many people are concerned about the accident as it could have killed hundreds of people if it occurred during a football match. Thankfully however, no one was present during the collapse.
VVD parliamentarian Daniel Koerhuis said to NH Nieuws “I am very shocked. It is a relatively new stadium.” The stadium was only built and opened in 2006.
KNMI issues a Code Yellow warning for the upcoming week
KNMI has issued a code yellow warning for the Netherlands this week excluding the provinces of Noord-Holland, Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe and the Wadden islands. Thunderstorms are predicted to arrive this afternoon and the code yellow warning is in place from 14.00. Stay safe people!
Two Dutch men are facing the possibility of life in a Hungarian prison after being caught selling huge quantities of drugs at the Budapest music festival Sziget.
UPDATE 11:52am: Multiple sources are now reporting that one of the men involved is well-known Dutch sprinter Roelf B, who represented the Netherlands in the European Championships Under 23’s last month.
EARLIER: The Dutch are often praised for their innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, but this is maybe taking it too far. The two ‘businessmen,’ aged 21 and 22, hauled in at least a kilo of ecstasy pills, 451 pre-run joints, and 128 grams of marijuana, reports RTL Nieuws. Quite the party, indeed – and one they were willing to share judging by the price lists also found.
Guards reportedly clued in to the illicit business when they noticed a steady stream of customers heading in and out of the tent. It was like magic: in goes the money, outcome the small packages. Didn’t take Einstein to figure that one out.
It appears the men did their market research, heading to the incredibly popular music festival alongside half-a-million potential customers from 100 countries.
But now they face the possibility of life in prison, according to Hungarian law. Their Dutch lawyers attempted to have their clients released on bail, but due to the quantity of the drugs, it was denied.
The Netherlands may be liberal, and the Schengen area may be borderless, but we think these guys’ risk aversion strategy could use a little refining. Regardless, life in prison is maybe a little harsh so we’re hoping these young-guns learn their lesson in a much shorter way.
Clever business model or an incredibly stupid idea? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Feature Image: Sziget Music Festival from opethpainter on Flickr. CC 2.0.
When it comes to food and Amsterdam, and the Netherlands, one thing always comes to mind: cheese. While the Dutch are undoubtedly world-famous for these mouth-watering cheeses there are far more delicious Dutch concoctions that will have you drooling all over the bike paths. Stay tuned for some of the must-eats in Amsterdam!
The stroopwafel, a combination of a waffle and a biscuit with oozing caramel sauce, and Gouda cheese are two items that can’t be missed while you’re in Amsterdam. If you would prefer to take a more ‘relaxing’ avenue, the special ‘adult’ cookies at a local coffee-shop will give you a whole other culinary experience ☘️.
But, if you are a true foodie on the hunt for unique food that gives Amsterdam its vibrant identity, check our top 7 must-eats when in Amsterdam – your tastebuds will thank us!
#1 Must-Eat in Amsterdam: Herring
There are foods in the world that demand an audience: the iconic yet straightforward hotdog in America, or the flavour bursting street-food of India. In Amsterdam, the slippery-slidey herring guarantees it will get your attention – and get you to hold your nose!
A Herring shop in Amsterdam. Image: cheeseslave on Flickr. CC2.0
The dish is a favourite with locals and visitors and can easily be found at different stalls around the city, including just outside Centraal Station. Is there a correct way to eat raw fish? You betcha! Hold that sucker up by the tail, tilt your head back, and lower it into your mouth in as big a bite as possible. It’s sweet, sour, salty, slimy, and fishy, but love it or hate it, it’s a must-eat in Amsterdam.
#2 Must-Eat in Amsterdam: Oliebollen
These tasty balls of delight are basically doughnuts, which makes them pretty dang good in our book. There are a few differences: no donut hole (for the mathematicians out there: that means more donut!) and raisins are also mixed through making it the perfect cosy, winter treat.
Olliebollen are served with sprinkled powdered sugar on top (ummm, yes!) and are both a quick bite on the go as well as a proper dessert to have during festival times.
#3 Must-Eat in Amsterdam: Poffertjes
Who loves pancakes?! Now, who loves stacks of miniature pancakes smothered in butter and sugar? The crowd goes wild, and so will you for these cute, fluffy, eatables.
Poffertjes are known around the world as ‘Dutch Pancakes,’ cooked in special pans by the dozen, and are the perfect bite-sized addiction. While these babies may be small, constrain yourselves! They’re seriously addictive and a major must-eat in Amsterdam.
#4 Must-Eat in Amsterdam: Stroopwafel
Stroopwafel is a word that kind of falls out of your mouth, and, coincidentally, stroopwafels are the kind of treat that falls into your mouth – repeatedly and in huge quantities. This must-eat in Amsterdam is a Dutch cookie with a kind of waffle texture on the outside and the most smooth, delectable gooey caramel on the inside.
Stroopwafel in Amsterdam
While there may not be a wrong way to eat a stroopwafel, there is the Dutch way. Order a steaming cup of tea or coffee, place your stroopwafel on top of the cup, and let the steam melt the caramel inside.
#5 Must-Eat in Amsterdam: War Fries
With a name so unique, “war fries” are the most popular comfort food when wandering around Amsterdam. Known locally as Patatje Oorlog, the fries Belgian-style and thus thick-cut and fired not once, but twice. So what’s in it? Well, more over it: mayo and peanut sauce (the Dutch love their ‘sate-sauce’).
Patatje Oorlog in Amsterdam. Image: David Huang on Flickr.
It’s one of those typical Dutchie things to do: drink a beer, go to the fun fair, enjoy some war fries, jump on a ride, complain about the weather, have another drink, play some lucky numbers, then have another drink because you got lucky but the weather is still chilly.
#6 Must-Eat in Amsterdam: Spekkoek
Back in the glory days, the Netherlands travelled the world hocking spices. Indonesia was a former colony of theirs, and the two countries are still bosom-buds. Despite the sordid history, spekkoek is one of the delight that emerged.
Spekkoek is a layered Indonesian cake that is made using cinnamon. Soft and satisfying, you are most likely to find the cake at one of the many Indonesian cafes or restaurants that dot the city.
#7 Must-Eat in Amsterdam: Kapsalon
There is some rule of the universe that when you combine a bunch of ingredients onto a base you make something delicious: take pizza or nachos as an example. Kapsalon is the Dutch equivalent. From Turkish roots, kapsalon literally translated means ‘hair salon’.
Kapsalon in all its stacked glory. Image: MartinD via Wikimedia Commons.
Don’t let the name put you off this dish though, because fries, shawarma meat, cheese, and salad layered in a container? This is the perfect post-drinking or munchie meal, and a must-eat in Amsterdam.
Did you try any of these must-eats in Amsterdam? Got a favourite Dutch meal that we missed? Let us know in the comments below!
A two-year-old child was with his parents at a flea-market in Zuidzande, Zeeland, when they were approached by an unknown man. The man said he thought the child was sweet and wanted to gift him with a teddy bear. The parents were unaware that a camera and microphone were hidden inside.
Stranger danger alert, Dutch Reviewers! The parents were alerted later the day when they felt something hard inside the teddy-bear. Upon closer investigation, they found the recording equipment hidden inside, report Zeeland Flanders Police. The bear’s cute button nose? Actually a camera lens.
But, let’s be fair here. It’s possible this was just a kind stranger who really thought the kid was just a cutie. Why are we giving him the benefit of the doubt? Because there were no batteries inside. That means no recording could take place.
Let’s also take into account that this was at a flea-market. It’s possible that the man picked it up at a stall not knowing it was previously some sort of nanny-cam.
Regardless, the police are warning people of similar situations. Don’t take candy (or teddy bears) from strangers, kids!
Ever had a weird situation with a stranger? Let us know your story in the comments below!
As the temperature rose during the sweltering July heatwave, so did the number of deaths. More than 400 extra people died compared to an average week during in the summer period, according to new figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) released today.
Almost 3000 people died during the July heatwave, a number that would typically be 400 less. But, as the mercury rose above 40°C, the mortality rate followed. People older than 80 years old struggled particularly with the temperature, making up three-quarters of the deaths.
Last months heatwave broke historical records after Gilze-Rijen reached 40.7°C and many other areas broke 40°C.
In week 30 van 2019 overleden 211 personen per 100 duizend inwoners van 80 jaar en ouder. In 2006 lag dat aantal tijdens de weken van de hittegolven (week 27, 29 en 30) nog op 262. Zie: https://t.co/qmbxs8QlQKpic.twitter.com/JCPIZaQCXi
In the 2018 summer heatwave the amount of additional deaths only exceeded 100 more than in a normal summer week. The quadrupling this year could be because the 2018 summer was proceeded by a flu epidemic which may have contributed to deaths earlier than in the summer.
Learning from the past
While the numbers increased compared to last year, it was nothing compared to the heatwave of 2006. During the 2006 heatwaves, 1000 additional people died compared to average, says CBS.
“These days the connection seems to be less strong. There is more awareness of what to do with a heat wave,” the CBS said in a statement.
Those living in the East were unlucky, with temperatures rising higher, lasting longer, and increasing the chance of death.
Yes, a happy doggo meme will be seen then 😉
