Catharina-Amalia, the crown princess of the Netherlands, has been placed under heightened security due to worries that she would be a target of criminals.
Dutch news agency ANP reported her mother, Queen Maxima saying, “She can hardly leave the house.”
The Dutch Crown Princess, has been forced to give up her plans to reside in student housing or digs due to security concerns, reports Reuters.
Just weeks after the 18-year-old began attending Amsterdam University, King Willem-Alexander and his wife Queen Maxima announced late Thursday that Amalia would have to remain within the palace.
Officials declined to comment on specifics, but the action comes weeks after reports that Amalia and Prime Minister Mark Rutte were referenced in correspondence by organised crime groups.
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The reports have prompted new worries about organised crime in the nation, where public figures frequently move about with no protection, and have also raised concerns about kidnappings.
Amalia’s situation was called “terrible and worrisome” said Premier Rutte, who until recently was frequently spotted on a bike around The Hague.
Rick Evers, a Dutch reporter who specialises in royal affairs, remarked, “It’s about an 18-year-old girl who can’t have a student life because she’s apparently the target of the Mocro-mafia.”
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The Mocro-mafia, so named because of their Moroccan origin, are criminal organisations with a focus on Amsterdam’s emerging cocaine trade and the growing drug trade in the Netherlands.
Experts claim that the incident has increased worries that the Netherlands is becoming a “narco-state” after a high-profile string of convictions involving drug trafficking organisations, reports AFP.
Calling organized crime a “fundamental problem” Dutch minister of justice and protection Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius said that her government was “working hard day and night to ensure her (princess’s) security.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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