WILLEMSTAD - The government is currently developing a new National Opium Ordinance, with the proposed legislation now under consideration by Parliament. This ordinance is designed to align with international treaties that form part of the recommendations from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), as detailed in the Explanatory Memorandum (MvT).
One key treaty is the Convention against Illicit Traffic. To comply with this, the government has introduced additional measures to combat the trade in chemicals used in the illegal production of narcotics. The list of these chemicals, along with related materials, equipment, and other supplies, will be finalized later through a National Decree containing general measures.
The new ordinance also includes an "extraterritorial jurisdiction provision," which primarily targets the trafficking of narcotics and psychotropic substances by sea.
Moreover, nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, has been added to the soft drug list, making it a prohibited substance under this new legislation.