DUTCH TACKLE DRUG SMUGGLING BOOM

The Dutch Government is bringing in emergency measures to tackle the sharp
rise in drug smuggling through Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.

The move follows public outrage after it was revealed that instead of being
locked up, some drugs couriers arrested at the airport have been released
with a court summons because of a shortage of prison cells.

Prime Minister Wim Kok said that until now it had been too easy for drugs
smugglers to get into the planes and that all flights must be so tightly
controlled that the drugs couriers won't want to come through Schiphol.

Customs officials estimate that up 25,000 drug couriers passed through
Schiphol last year, and only 1,200 were arrested.

But that number was a 60% increase over the year 2000.

Extra staff

Last month, six cocaine smugglers detained at the airport were released in
error by overworked officials.

Now the so-called Schiphol team of airport police and customs will get 100
extra men.

The government also wants to build a 350-cell prison at Ossendrecht
barracks near the Belgian border.

Justice Minister Benk Korthals has been heavily criticised by MPs for not
bringing drastic measures in sooner.

Politicians want a guarantee that no more drugs couriers will walk away
after being arrested.

"This is the most difficult problem for me - I hope that we don't send away
any prisoners," said Mr Korthals.

"It is not orthodox, but it is a very far going measure I take, everyone
can see that we have a very big problem."

Mr Korthals will have some tough questions to answer when parliament
debates the issue next week.

Caribbean connection

Soft drugs can be bought legally and used in small quantities in the
Netherlands.

But the maximum sentence for importing hard drugs is 12 years imprisonment.

Most smugglers come from the Dutch Antilles, in the Caribbean, and
transport drugs by swallowing them in condoms.

The new measures target these couriers in particular and include new
scanning equipment at Dutch Caribbean airports, extra prison guards and
cells on the islands and even withdrawing the passports of Dutch and Dutch
Caribbean nationals who are arrested.

The BBC's Geraldine Coughlan in The Hague says that if Minister Korthals
can convince parliament that his new package of measures is enough to
tackle Schiphol airport's smuggling problem, he may be able to save his
political skin and perhaps turn this crisis to his advantage ahead of
general elections in May.