WILLEMSTAD:---In a unique setting, personnel from all five police forces of the Dutch Kingdom have gathered in Curaçao for the pilot project War Room Kingdom Strategy. This initiative also includes participation from the Detective Cooperation Team (RST), the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (KMar), and the Caribbean Coast Guard (KWCARIB). This extraordinary initiative was launched to strengthen the joint approach to tackling transnational and subversive crime.
The War Room is led by the coordinator of the Inter-Island Information Coordination Platform (IICP) - a structural partnership between participating agencies and the Public Prosecutor focusing on intelligence coordination. The coordinator is supported by the liaison officer from the Dutch National Police and the coordinator of the Caribbean Information Coordination (ICC-NL).
The term war room originates from the military domain, referring to a central hub for strategic planning and operational coordination. In this pilot, the concept takes on new meaning: over a two-week period - from March 31 to April 11, 2025 - analysts and intelligence specialists will work intensively to map and analyze criminal networks operating across the Kingdom. These joint intelligence products may be the foundation for criminal investigations or other interventions. At the same time, the pilot functions as a hands-on training opportunity for newly appointed analysts within the Caribbean police forces and the RST.
On behalf of the Council of Police Chiefs, the War Room was officially opened by Chief of Police Raymond Ellis of the Curaçao Police Force (KPC) and Ans Rietstra, head of the RST. According to Ellis, the initiative marks “a new phase in cooperation within the Kingdom.” The War Room setting, he emphasized, is no coincidence: “The fight against organized crime resembles a modern form of warfare. It unfolds in our ports, airports, on the streets, and online. Our adversaries are increasingly well-organized, collaborate effortlessly across borders, employ advanced technologies, and possess strong intelligence capabilities. This means that we also have to become more organized, push the boundaries of cooperation, and strengthen our own intelligence position.” The head of the RST expressed her appreciation and full support for the pilot, stating her confidence that the War Room would yield valuable insights and concrete results.
This initiative demonstrates that law enforcement agencies across the Kingdom are not only committed to jointly combating organized crime, but are also actively taking coordinated action. It’s more than just a pilot—it is a powerful signal of unity and a shared sense of urgency in the fight against subversion. The approach being developed over these two weeks is expected to form the foundation for a long-term, structural, and collaborative strategy.
