Illegal drug laboratory discovered in The Hague, four arrested and residents evacuated

Dutch authorities have discovered an illegal laboratory in a residential area of The Hague, where synthetic narcotics are suspected to have been produced.

Four people were arrested during the operation, while police are working to dismantle the illegal operation, foreign media report.

The arrested individuals are four men aged between 34 and 71, according to Dutch police. Investigators suspect that the laboratory was used to produce MDMA and ecstasy pills.

Approximately 150 residents were forced to leave their homes during the intervention by special units. Substances and materials that could pose a risk were found at the scene, while teams removed containers holding hundreds of litres of potentially dangerous substances.

This marks the second evacuation in the same area within 24 hours, after the laboratory was discovered a day earlier.

Local authorities described the discovery of such a laboratory in a residential area as unusual, stressing that the hazardous nature of the chemical materials requires the implementation of special safety measures.

Police and the municipality are continuing to clean up the area and remove hazardous substances. Residents are expected to return to their homes once the operation is complete.