Dutch leisure operator Arke Fly (Amsterdam Schiphol) has been forced to abandon upcoming plans to connect the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven with the Caribbean this winter following concerns the flights may help foster a growing drug trade.
Justice minister Ard van der Steur told local media houses in a statement that local government could not permit the flights as Eindhoven airport possesses neither the manpower nor the machinery capable of thoroughly screening all passengers for drugs.
As such, Arkefly has reportedly agreed to reroute the flights through Amsterdam Schiphol where such resources have been in place for the past thirteen years.
In 2002, the Netherlands implemented what it termed '100% inspections' to help combat a rise in the number of smugglers attempting to bring drugs into the country via Amsterdam Schipol airport. The policy involves individually searching all passengers arriving on flights from the Dutch Antilles, Aruba, Suriname, and Venezuela for drugs.
