Concern over rise of 'corruption brokers' hired to bribe officials

Criminal gangs have developed a sophisticated network of middlemen to bribe civil servants so they can obtain confidential information or false papers, the head of the Dutch CID has warned. Arthur van Baarlen said he was alarmed by the rise of intermediaries who specialise in corrupting officials in local councils, the tax office and other government agencies who have access to personal information such as addresses, vehicle registration numbers and passport details. Van Baarlen, who was appointed in 2020, told...