Dozens of barrels suspected of containing acetone were found in a cellar on the Spaansbocht in Rotterdam-West on Saturday morning. Acetone can be used as a raw material for ecstasy or speed, for example, but it is also used in cocaine laundries.
Truck
The police discovered the barrels through a passerby who saw a truck being unloaded and did not trust the situation. The police then started an investigation and discovered the barrels in a cellar box on the Spaansbocht. The barrels suspected of containing acetone have been seized and are being destroyed. No one has been arrested yet.
Raw material
Acetone is often used as a raw material for the production of synthetic drugs. When the drug lab exploded in an apartment complex in South Rotterdam, which recently resulted in three deaths, jerry cans containing acetone and hydrochloric acid were found among the rubble.
Acetone is also commonly used in cocaine laundries. In a cocaine laundry, cocaine is extracted from other materials such as shampoo or clothing/textiles, making them difficult to trace during transport across the border.
