Viersen: GPT pact targets narcotics crime
On Wednesday, 24 June 2026, Dutch and German police authorities signed a formal cooperation agreement for cross-border police teams in Zevenaar, Netherlands. The joint press release from the Federal Police and the district police authorities of Kleve and Viersen marks another chapter in cooperation that has existed for years along the German-Dutch border. The aim is to combat crime in the border region more effectively – including the trade in and distribution of narcotics.
Agreement signed in Zevenaar
Although Cross-Border Police Teams, abbreviated GPT, have been deployed for several years, the official agreement was formally sealed in Zevenaar only on this Wednesday. Representatives of the Midden-Nederland and Limburg brigades of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, the Dutch police units of Limburg and Oost-Nederland, the Federal Police Directorate Sankt Augustin, and the North Rhine-Westphalian police – including Police Headquarters Düsseldorf and the district police authorities of Viersen and Kleve – agreed on joint standards for cross-border patrols in the border area between the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia.
The signing in Zevenaar underscores the strategic importance of the Lower Rhine region. Viersen and Kleve as the seats of two district police authorities and Zevenaar as the Dutch partner city form the backbone of a cooperation model that goes beyond mere neighbourly assistance. Both sides emphasize that open borders facilitate daily life but simultaneously offer criminals numerous opportunities – a problem the GPT are intended to address directly.
Tasks of the Cross-Border Police Teams
The tasks of the GPT cover a broad spectrum of cross-border crime. In addition to preventing irregular migration, including related residence and document fraud, smuggling and human trafficking are key priorities. The teams also address property and financial crime. A central component of the mandate is combating narcotics crime – an area where international smuggling routes and local dealer structures can be particularly active at the border.
- Prevention of irregular migration and document fraud
- Smuggling and human trafficking
- Property and financial crime
- Narcotics crime and drug enforcement at the border
Two established GPT routes
Two GPT routes are currently in operation: Venlo-Kaldenkirchen and Zevenaar-Kleve. Both connections run along heavily used border crossings where goods, vehicles, and persons must be checked daily. The teams patrol jointly in a defined border strip and can respond immediately to suspected cases without waiting for lengthy jurisdiction clarifications.
Mixed teams with sovereign powers
The GPT Venlo-Kaldenkirchen and Zevenaar-Kleve are generally staffed as mixed teams: one Dutch and one German police officer – from state or federal police – patrol together. This ensures that on both sides of the border, an officer with full sovereign powers in their country can always take action. The patrol partner from the other country supports operationally and linguistically without violating legal jurisdiction.
This model solves a classic problem of border-area operations: suspects can cross borders before a pursuit is completed. Through dual staffing, searches and checks can continue seamlessly as soon as a vehicle or person crosses the national border. Especially in narcotics offences, where transports are often organized just before or behind the border, this structure offers a significant tactical advantage.
Information exchange on a short official channel
A key advantage of the GPT lies in exchanging and pooling information on crime phenomena available in both countries. In particular, current person and vehicle searches can be passed on through short official channels within the legal framework. Instead of formal requests across multiple levels, patrol officers receive direct access to relevant data from the partner country – a factor that can be decisive in time-critical drug-related investigations.
The standards agreed today are also intended to be transferable to the entire NRW border. The Federal Police in North Rhine-Westphalia has successfully conducted joint cross-border patrols with the Royal Marechaussee for more than 15 years. With the expanded participation of the closest partners from state and district police, the network along the entire western state border is growing.
Statements from the participating authority leaders
Barbara Heuser, president of the Federal Police authority responsible for North Rhine-Westphalia, highlighted the long-standing successful model of joint patrols with the Marechaussee. She stated that the standards agreed today can be transferred to the entire NRW border, and the Federal Police NRW is ready for this. Her statement underscores the ambition to expand the proven model of cross-border operations across the entire border area.
For the Viersen District Police Authority, Sebastian Wessel, head of the police department and senior police director, signed the agreement. He emphasized that his own GPT has been successfully ensuring security in the border region for several years. The lived international collegiality is being honoured in this framework, and there are now many practical examples that this form of German-Dutch cooperation is a success.
Background and outlook
German-Dutch police cooperation at the border has a long tradition. What began with occasional arrangements has developed into a structured system with fixed routes, joint deployment plans, and standardized procedures. Narcotics enforcement is not a side aspect but an explicitly named task area of the GPT – alongside migration, smuggling, and property offences.
For residents of the Venlo, Viersen, Kleve region and surrounding municipalities, intensified cooperation means a visible presence of both police forces in the border area. Whether in traffic checks, searches, or surveillance in the drug environment: the mixed teams can immediately pass suspicious circumstances to the respective responsible side. Media inquiries should be directed to the Viersen District Police press office at telephone number 02162/377-1191 or by email at pressestelle.viersen@polizei.nrw.de.
