In the Netherlands, a number of bodies are authorised to seize property under criminal law. Their powers are laid down in the Dutch Code of Criminal Procedure. Assets seized in this context are known as ‘criminal assets’.
It is not just the National Police that seize property under criminal law. The other bodies authorised to seize property are known as ‘Special Investigation Services’: FIOD (the Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service), ILT (the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate), ISZW (the Inspectorate SZW) and NVWA (the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority). Numerous inspection services, such as the enforcement service, are also fully or partly authorised to seize criminal assets.
A public prosecutor at the Public Prosecution Service then decides what should happen with the seized property. In some cases the Public Prosecution Service decides to return property directly to its owner, and in other cases the public prosecutor decides that the property is to be stored, destroyed, sold or returned after all. The sequestrator gives effect to the decision taken by the Public Prosecution Service. In the majority of cases, DRZ is the sequestrator.
Have any of your goods been seized and are they stored at DRZ, and do you have questions about this?
If the goods have been seized under criminal law, you may contact the seizure desk Beslagloket by sending an email to info@beslagloket.nl or calling +31 (0)88 - 15 00 980. Beslagloket is open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
If your vehicle has been taken out of service on the instructions of the CJIB (the Central Judicial Collection Agency) and you have questions about this, please contact CJIB.
If any of your goods have been seized on behalf of Belastingdienst (the Tax and Customs Administration) and you have questions about this, please contact Belastingdienst.