Drug lab discovery prompts residents’ evacuation in The Hague

THE HAGUE - Authorities in The Hague evacuated residents from dozens of homes on July 18 after discovering an illegal drug lab had been set up in their neighbourhood, Dutch officials said.

The operation was the second time in 24 hours the residents were asked to leave their homes over the lab, outside which barrels containing hundreds of litres of dangerous chemicals were stored.

The police investigation into the site led to the arrests of at least four men aged between 34 and 71.

Several media outlets in the Netherlands said some 150 residents were asked to evacuate while specialised teams safely removed the products and then dismantled the inside of the lab.

One outlet, De Volkskrant, said the lab appeared to be used to make ecstasy and other forms of MDMA.

“It’s not usual to see such a set-up in a residential neighbourhood,” a police spokeswoman told AFP.

The local council said the dangerous products were taken away and “eliminated”, and warned that dangerous substances could be released during the operation.

It said that it expected the residents would be allowed to return to their homes late on July 18. AFP

Police removing a van from a house where a drug lab was discovered on Meidoornstraat, in The Hague, Netherlands, on July 18. PHOTO: EPA