How do authorities want to stop crime in the Javastraat

Javastraat has eleven (11!) Usually substantial vegetable stores and stores where fruits and vegetables are the main part of the range. Some are crowded, especially on Saturdays. In others it mildly, much less lively.

The aorta of the Indian Area has about the same number of call shops - at a time when the phone shop looks out over time. The questions come to mind. How many greengrocers and call shops is nearby? Are they all real companies with hard-working entrepreneurs, or are there also disguises for example between criminals who profit crime like money laundering?

The recent past has (in particular), also in the Javastraat various signals of the latter. Community police officers Cor Stolk and Anne Talman received from colleagues in recent years, again plenty of signals that investigations led "their" Javastraat, though that here and undeniably flourished.

'Something is wrong'

"Then the investigation team X, Y team, then the national investigation which knocked about players in the Java Street," says Stolk. He worked in his decades-long career with the Amsterdam police also roughly Kinkerstraat and the western harbor area.

"In the Kinkerstraat I saw the same phenomena that raise questions with all those phone shops and massage parlors as here. Companies where you feel that something is not right and you never get to hold of the owner. Other retailers away. Everyone knows that here things are going that are flawed, but no one puts his finger on it. "

Two and a half years ago the police officers with the investigation made a plan whereby more and more allied government. The card was initially the starting point.

A plan which a police chief this newspaper showed two years ago, which the companies in the Javastraat green, orange or red was colored.

Green: OK. Red: probably wrong lot. Orange: doubtful. The red colored cases have in recent years boarded necessary. A laundry where above all money laundering; coffee houses and cafes where gambling was or was traded drugs illegally.

Write vouchers

"Everyone knew where young criminals could sell their stolen laptop," says Stolk. "We ended up getting the whole team along. Do you thousand times to write a ticket when someone error parked, but you can also look who's sitting in that car. Meanwhile we have gathered a lot of information. That we here again helps a handsome, neat make street that reflects the neighborhood's needs. "

a half years ago under the leadership of a project of investigation and Jacqueline Makbouli, strategic advisor Public Order and Security Oost, launched a major operation in which many parties work together to clean up the Java Street.

Police and district held by the Treasury, the Department of Work and Income, the VWA and the Inspectorate of Social Affairs and Employment recent weeks joint audits, which this newspaper was present.

Checkers
All eleven cases where fruit and vegetables (and sometimes meat) are the main part of the range, were visited by inspectors from various circles. The benefit of bona fide entrepreneurs among them. While officials with clipboards and paper questioning the operator recognize an inspector with a flashlight with an employee runs a basement, where mice houses, and adopts a colleague hefty stacks of crates with vegetables.

He points to an arrangement to run makes it easy pests on vegetable crates. In one of the smaller shops attract as many as six surveillance cameras focus - plus the mess with closed periodically back door, which opens onto a waste unfunded firebreak.

On the first control day, March 30, police neighbors saw open a store, which remains half hours without a manager or employee if the inspectors are inside. Strange.

Throw
Some things seem very much fruit and vegetables to throw away. Sometimes just in the underground containers which are intended for residents, and which eventually become so full that the gripping arms are at the garbage trucks they hardly get up.

Managers of other things to say to give a lot of vegetables to the poor, but can not prove it. Is a store that does so much garbage dump a healthy, normal business, whether it is for example a money laundering vehicle?

The detective: "Sometimes we see a high turnover but low actual sales on paper, then we think. Where does that money come from that there is apparently laundered?" Reason for further investigation.

Red Cross

"Now Javastraat since a formal project end of last year from all parties who are members of the regional information and expertise center, we can link information from all departments to dismantle criminal structures and subcultures," said the detective.

"It ranges from a blind eye to operate in the serious crime. If a trader at one service scored a red cross shows that usually, other services have to be." Oost, town hall, police and justice work together on a opschoonplan.

"As you all the information of all government parties throws on the table, do a complete analysis. You pierces the conflicting stories around who have told the operators to the different parties," Makbouli says. "My common sense says that eleven vegetable business or call shops it is very, very much, but I'm not bothered by any knowledge of the industry. Therefore, we jointly stabbing the thermometer in the street and we combine our expertise."

Arrests
The two control days to deliver six arrests on. Five foreigners without papers to work, one employee can not identify themselves. Several shops seem to benefit recipients to work, one shopkeeper turns his staff to pay in cash - which is not allowed. The Food Safety Authority sees to be a triad violation occasion eturn to see if wrongs are put right.

The services investigate waste contracts, or lack thereof, and labor relations. Earlier forced closures learned that those involved soon start something new in the neighborhood. Therefore not enough close carpentry.

Makbouli: "Those guys are much faster and smarter than us if our attention to the coffee houses goes, they begin just something else Our approach therefore not stop at the closure How we arrive at an economically attractive Javastraat That is...? a long-term task. "

Bonafide

An employee of the Department of the district economy is pivotal in the project. Makbouli:. "That is, after a closure to the mostly private property owners' Would not it be nice even rent to a bona fide entrepreneur?" Then you look handsome property there and perform the rent always in. That official has cards in its back pocket of entrepreneurs eager to start something new in the street. In a boarded up pub now is a vegetarian restaurant. "

For another boarded up building is a tobacconist in the race. Javastraat should not entirely very upping. All residents of the Indian Neighbourhood their messages need to continue to do here.

The detective: "We would indeed like to supply and demand more into balance." Makbouli is hopeful: "I feel that we are the tipping point is passed."

(Thursday in Het Parool: The street also has nice sides)

By: PAUL Vugts / Het Parool Photo: Mats of Soolingen