Headlines January
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Courier leaves rumbling bus full of parcels at Schiphol airport and takes off by plane
A parcel delivery man was flown at Schiphol Airport on Wednesday evening in a very remarkable way. The man parked his van full of parcels in front of the departure hall, only to catch the plane. He left the van with the engine running.
A spokesman for the Royal Military Police is still puzzled by the story a day later. "It happens quite often that couriers drop off packages at Schiphol, but this time no one came back. We then saw on camera footage how the gentleman left his coach and checked in at the airport. Presumably to go on a trip."
As the van was parked with its engine running in front of the departure hall and full of parcels, the police service at Schiphol saw a suspicious situation. Tracking dog Jodi searched the van for explosives, among other things, but did not strike. So nothing wrong, except that it is a rather remarkable way to travel. The courier also did nothing criminal, according to the military police, except that he was not allowed to park his van there. "There is bound to be a good conversation between him and his employer," he said. Because the owner of the courier company also knew nothing about his employee's travel plan. Full of surprise, the company had the full van collected on Wednesday night.
Why the parcel deliverer dropped himself off with his work van and did not choose another mode of transport is unclear. The military police know who the man is, but will not share anything about this for privacy reasons.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/opmerkelijk/6245774/koerier-laat-ronkende-bus-vol-pakketjes-achter-op-schiphol-en-pakt-vliegtuig.html
Copper theft near Gelderse Hedel leads to train disruption again
For the second time this week, copper thieves caused damage to the track in Hedel in Gelderland, reports rail operator ProRail. As a result, no trains were running between Den Bosch and Utrecht for several hours. The damage was detected this morning, after which the track was stopped around 10.45am. Around 1pm, the problem was fixed.
'Copper theft yields little return'
Calling the perpetrators to come forward, the rail operator called copper theft life-threatening. "It yields little and causes major passenger inconvenience," it said. On Monday, ProRail reported that the number of cases of copper theft had fallen last year. It was reported 12 times then, down from 34 in 2021 and 62 in 2020. Ten years ago, there were over 500 reports.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2459564-weer-koperdiefstal-bij-hedel-geen-treinen-tussen-den-bosch-en-utrecht
Dutch internet's 'most vulnerable site' poorly secured
Somewhere in Zandvoort, three data cables, or internet cables are coming ashore. Those cables run across the seabed all the way from America - via Britain - to the North Holland coastal town. The place where the cables are coming up is supposed to be secret, but after asking around a bit, journalist and podcast maker Robin de Wever was at the door in no time. Indeed, he could have walked right in.
Between America and Europe - as far as we know - some 19 data cables run open and exposed across the seabed. It is the internet line between the two continents. Without those sea cables, no internet. Although no secret according to Robin de Wever - the cables are even marked on nautical charts so that skippers know where, above all, they should not drop their anchor - the journalist and podcast maker's interest was piqued. "I found that such an interesting fact that I thought 'I'm going to dive in'. And what I found, that actually shocked me a bit. Because those cables are just lying open and exposed on the seabed." Robin decided to make a podcast about it: 'The danger on the seabed'. In it, he talks to both security experts and people from the 'cable scene'.
Of the 19 cables between America and Europe, eight are essential. The cables are - as Robin describes in his podcast - about as thick as a toilet roll. If those eight cables are all sabotaged, the internet between Europe and America falls away. And so experts tell Robin: 'Then the consequences are incalculable. Then society gets disrupted on a scale we've probably never seen before'.
'Russia is doing crazy things'
"The idea was always that the internet belongs to everyone, and so no one has an interest in destroying it," says Robin, "But times are changing and the experts I am talking to now say that Russia is doing such crazy things. Russia has already blown up a - so is the accusation - gas pipeline near Denmark. Now follow those internet cables?"
So the sea cables on the bottom are vulnerable. Anyone can look up roughly where they are. Anchoring in the wrong place a few times and they can already be broken. But what about the places where these cables come ashore, Robin wanted to know. Are they a bit secure? The internet from America lands in the Netherlands in five places: Domburg in Zeeland and the North Holland coastal towns of Zandvoort, Beverwijk, IJmuiden and Callantsoog.
"I could have walked right in"
"Those cables arrive at cottages on the coast. There they are connected to the grid. I went looking for such a cottage. I started asking around within that cable business. A lot of doors remained closed. But at one point, there was someone who said, 'you should look in Zandvoort'. This source from the 'cable scene' was from abroad and wanted to remain anonymous. He gave Robin the location with an urgent request not to reveal it, "So as not to give people any ideas." I went to look there. I could have walked straight there and when I got there, the door was open. I could have walked right in if I had wanted to."
When Robin comes walking in, two electricians are just replacing power cables. Specialists from Britain, who confirm that this is indeed where the data cables come up in Zandvoort. When Robin asks if he can go inside, they almost apologetically tell him not to because there are cameras. "There is no fence around it, there is no concrete wall around it. I saw one camera hanging there but that was about it. What worries me is that with a bit of asking around, I can find out where such a location is. Then people who want harm can also find out with a bit of asking around."
'Cottage'
In his podcast, Robin calls the 'little house' - in reality it is just a bit more than a little house, it is a fairly present building in Zandvoort - the most vulnerable place on the Dutch internet. But if it were to be blown up by some madman the whole country would not immediately be down. "Then we still have those other 'houses'. Then it will be a bit slower but we will survive that."
Especially risk for businesses
Robin was told, however, that many companies (read multinationals) have leased bandwidth on the cables running to Zandvoort. "To have a guaranteed connection to England and America. If that 'cottage' is affected something those connections are just gone. So there might be hundreds of millions of euros hanging on that one little house. So which I can walk right up to, which I can get right up to."
When asked who is responsible for protecting and securing the locations where the internet enters our country, "It is a privatised business, which are cable companies. Companies that bring cables across and also special companies that make those cottages. Companies we don't know about. British companies."
Source: https://www.nhnieuws.nl/nieuws/313308/kwetsbaarste-plek-van-het-nederlandse-internet-slecht-beveiligd
Explosion with serious injuries could have been prevented
Grid operator Stedin was grossly negligent and made major mistakes during work under shopping centre Stadshart in Zoetermeer. Carelessness caused a gas explosion in which three men were seriously injured. An investigation by government body State Supervision of Mines (SSM) found that the incident could have been prevented. Wrong action endangered the safety of the gas grid and the surrounding area, is one of the harsh conclusions. Stedin acknowledges the problems and says it is taking the matter very seriously. On Monday afternoon, 7 February 2022, things go terribly wrong in Zoetermeer. A gas explosion occurs during work on the gas network of a new retail building in shopping centre Stadshart. Two employees of network operator Stedin and a welder are blown off scaffolding and suffer severe burns. A fourth person suffers hearing damage. According to SSM, the explosion could have been prevented by carrying out the work gas-free and depressurised.During the work, an alarm of the gas signalling equipment goes off, but is ignored by the workers working in the basement. Indeed, the equipment is switched off after the alarm. But according to SSM, much more goes wrong. For instance, the drawing of how the gas pipes run in the ground does not match reality.
Furthermore, the mechanics did not have the right materials and were not wearing all the prescribed personal protective equipment. 'This most likely resulted in more serious injuries than if they had been worn,' the SSM concluded. 'The person in charge during the work disregards the safety rules.'
'His colleagues apparently do not call him to account for this, resulting in work being carried out under unsafe conditions,' says Francine Kiewiet de Jonge Lulofs, SSM's Gas Networks director. 'If employees don't call each other to account for unsafe behaviour and don't scale up internally when things go wrong or threaten to go wrong during work, this jeopardises the safety of the gas network and the environment.'
'Organisation and control must improve'
In the organisation, Stedin has a number of issues not in order, the SSM concludes. For instance, responsibility within Stedin has been placed 'too low in the organisation', according to State Supervision of Mines. In addition, there is a lack of internal control. Francine Kiewiet de Jonge Lulofs: 'The investigation shows that the organisation of responsibilities and control must be improved. With all these points, Stedin needs to work quickly and intensively.' The business assets register (BMR), which contains drawings of the gas networks, turns out not to be up-to-date and complete. Changes are not processed within the mandatory two months. Stedin employees work on the gas network in the same room two months earlier, but this does not then lead to changes in the BMR. This leaves a difference between the drawings as recorded in the BMR and the actual situation. 'This resulted in a high risk of unwanted gas leakage with an explosion.'
Stedin must therefore ensure that the BMR is in order. 'This requires a planned approach and considerable efforts, but is essential to ensure safety, also given the increasing infrastructure for energy transition,' the investigation report reads. Incidentally, SSM believes that work by grid operators should be done as gas-free as possible to avoid explosions. SSM has regular discussions with Stedin and these show that the company is working on the improvement points and recommendations from the report. For instance, Stedin recognises the importance of an up-to-date and complete BMR and has started work on a plan of action that will be submitted to SSM for assessment.
Stedin expresses huge regret
In a response, Stedin said it takes the matter highly and goes through the dust. 'This is a serious incident with great impact on the employees involved. We share the conclusions of the report and must deal with them,' a spokesperson said.That something is wrong policy-wise is acknowledged by the grid operator. 'There are many protocols not followed and we need to do something about that. We already put in the effort that colleagues should call each other to account when safety measures are not followed, but we will now do that even more intensively.'
Victims called to account for mistakes
The employees involved who were injured have been addressed by Stedin for not following proper working practices. 'It has a big impact for them, but individual discussions have also been held for not following the rules.' For example, the correct materials and protective equipment would have been available but not used by the victims.
How the employees are doing individually, the spokesperson cannot say. However, he does let it be known that all those involved are still working at Stedin.
Source: https://www.omroepwest.nl/nieuws/4675773/explosie-met-zwaargewonden-kon-voorkomen-worden-stedin-had-maling-aan-veiligheidsregels
A parcel delivery man was flown at Schiphol Airport on Wednesday evening in a very remarkable way. The man parked his van full of parcels in front of the departure hall, only to catch the plane. He left the van with the engine running.
A spokesman for the Royal Military Police is still puzzled by the story a day later. "It happens quite often that couriers drop off packages at Schiphol, but this time no one came back. We then saw on camera footage how the gentleman left his coach and checked in at the airport. Presumably to go on a trip."
As the van was parked with its engine running in front of the departure hall and full of parcels, the police service at Schiphol saw a suspicious situation. Tracking dog Jodi searched the van for explosives, among other things, but did not strike. So nothing wrong, except that it is a rather remarkable way to travel. The courier also did nothing criminal, according to the military police, except that he was not allowed to park his van there. "There is bound to be a good conversation between him and his employer," he said. Because the owner of the courier company also knew nothing about his employee's travel plan. Full of surprise, the company had the full van collected on Wednesday night.
Why the parcel deliverer dropped himself off with his work van and did not choose another mode of transport is unclear. The military police know who the man is, but will not share anything about this for privacy reasons.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/opmerkelijk/6245774/koerier-laat-ronkende-bus-vol-pakketjes-achter-op-schiphol-en-pakt-vliegtuig.html
Copper theft near Gelderse Hedel leads to train disruption again
For the second time this week, copper thieves caused damage to the track in Hedel in Gelderland, reports rail operator ProRail. As a result, no trains were running between Den Bosch and Utrecht for several hours. The damage was detected this morning, after which the track was stopped around 10.45am. Around 1pm, the problem was fixed.
'Copper theft yields little return'
Calling the perpetrators to come forward, the rail operator called copper theft life-threatening. "It yields little and causes major passenger inconvenience," it said. On Monday, ProRail reported that the number of cases of copper theft had fallen last year. It was reported 12 times then, down from 34 in 2021 and 62 in 2020. Ten years ago, there were over 500 reports.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2459564-weer-koperdiefstal-bij-hedel-geen-treinen-tussen-den-bosch-en-utrecht
Dutch internet's 'most vulnerable site' poorly secured
Somewhere in Zandvoort, three data cables, or internet cables are coming ashore. Those cables run across the seabed all the way from America - via Britain - to the North Holland coastal town. The place where the cables are coming up is supposed to be secret, but after asking around a bit, journalist and podcast maker Robin de Wever was at the door in no time. Indeed, he could have walked right in.
Between America and Europe - as far as we know - some 19 data cables run open and exposed across the seabed. It is the internet line between the two continents. Without those sea cables, no internet. Although no secret according to Robin de Wever - the cables are even marked on nautical charts so that skippers know where, above all, they should not drop their anchor - the journalist and podcast maker's interest was piqued. "I found that such an interesting fact that I thought 'I'm going to dive in'. And what I found, that actually shocked me a bit. Because those cables are just lying open and exposed on the seabed." Robin decided to make a podcast about it: 'The danger on the seabed'. In it, he talks to both security experts and people from the 'cable scene'.
Of the 19 cables between America and Europe, eight are essential. The cables are - as Robin describes in his podcast - about as thick as a toilet roll. If those eight cables are all sabotaged, the internet between Europe and America falls away. And so experts tell Robin: 'Then the consequences are incalculable. Then society gets disrupted on a scale we've probably never seen before'.
'Russia is doing crazy things'
"The idea was always that the internet belongs to everyone, and so no one has an interest in destroying it," says Robin, "But times are changing and the experts I am talking to now say that Russia is doing such crazy things. Russia has already blown up a - so is the accusation - gas pipeline near Denmark. Now follow those internet cables?"
So the sea cables on the bottom are vulnerable. Anyone can look up roughly where they are. Anchoring in the wrong place a few times and they can already be broken. But what about the places where these cables come ashore, Robin wanted to know. Are they a bit secure? The internet from America lands in the Netherlands in five places: Domburg in Zeeland and the North Holland coastal towns of Zandvoort, Beverwijk, IJmuiden and Callantsoog.
"I could have walked right in"
"Those cables arrive at cottages on the coast. There they are connected to the grid. I went looking for such a cottage. I started asking around within that cable business. A lot of doors remained closed. But at one point, there was someone who said, 'you should look in Zandvoort'. This source from the 'cable scene' was from abroad and wanted to remain anonymous. He gave Robin the location with an urgent request not to reveal it, "So as not to give people any ideas." I went to look there. I could have walked straight there and when I got there, the door was open. I could have walked right in if I had wanted to."
When Robin comes walking in, two electricians are just replacing power cables. Specialists from Britain, who confirm that this is indeed where the data cables come up in Zandvoort. When Robin asks if he can go inside, they almost apologetically tell him not to because there are cameras. "There is no fence around it, there is no concrete wall around it. I saw one camera hanging there but that was about it. What worries me is that with a bit of asking around, I can find out where such a location is. Then people who want harm can also find out with a bit of asking around."
'Cottage'
In his podcast, Robin calls the 'little house' - in reality it is just a bit more than a little house, it is a fairly present building in Zandvoort - the most vulnerable place on the Dutch internet. But if it were to be blown up by some madman the whole country would not immediately be down. "Then we still have those other 'houses'. Then it will be a bit slower but we will survive that."
Especially risk for businesses
Robin was told, however, that many companies (read multinationals) have leased bandwidth on the cables running to Zandvoort. "To have a guaranteed connection to England and America. If that 'cottage' is affected something those connections are just gone. So there might be hundreds of millions of euros hanging on that one little house. So which I can walk right up to, which I can get right up to."
When asked who is responsible for protecting and securing the locations where the internet enters our country, "It is a privatised business, which are cable companies. Companies that bring cables across and also special companies that make those cottages. Companies we don't know about. British companies."
Source: https://www.nhnieuws.nl/nieuws/313308/kwetsbaarste-plek-van-het-nederlandse-internet-slecht-beveiligd
Explosion with serious injuries could have been prevented
Grid operator Stedin was grossly negligent and made major mistakes during work under shopping centre Stadshart in Zoetermeer. Carelessness caused a gas explosion in which three men were seriously injured. An investigation by government body State Supervision of Mines (SSM) found that the incident could have been prevented. Wrong action endangered the safety of the gas grid and the surrounding area, is one of the harsh conclusions. Stedin acknowledges the problems and says it is taking the matter very seriously. On Monday afternoon, 7 February 2022, things go terribly wrong in Zoetermeer. A gas explosion occurs during work on the gas network of a new retail building in shopping centre Stadshart. Two employees of network operator Stedin and a welder are blown off scaffolding and suffer severe burns. A fourth person suffers hearing damage. According to SSM, the explosion could have been prevented by carrying out the work gas-free and depressurised.During the work, an alarm of the gas signalling equipment goes off, but is ignored by the workers working in the basement. Indeed, the equipment is switched off after the alarm. But according to SSM, much more goes wrong. For instance, the drawing of how the gas pipes run in the ground does not match reality.
Furthermore, the mechanics did not have the right materials and were not wearing all the prescribed personal protective equipment. 'This most likely resulted in more serious injuries than if they had been worn,' the SSM concluded. 'The person in charge during the work disregards the safety rules.'
'His colleagues apparently do not call him to account for this, resulting in work being carried out under unsafe conditions,' says Francine Kiewiet de Jonge Lulofs, SSM's Gas Networks director. 'If employees don't call each other to account for unsafe behaviour and don't scale up internally when things go wrong or threaten to go wrong during work, this jeopardises the safety of the gas network and the environment.'
'Organisation and control must improve'
In the organisation, Stedin has a number of issues not in order, the SSM concludes. For instance, responsibility within Stedin has been placed 'too low in the organisation', according to State Supervision of Mines. In addition, there is a lack of internal control. Francine Kiewiet de Jonge Lulofs: 'The investigation shows that the organisation of responsibilities and control must be improved. With all these points, Stedin needs to work quickly and intensively.' The business assets register (BMR), which contains drawings of the gas networks, turns out not to be up-to-date and complete. Changes are not processed within the mandatory two months. Stedin employees work on the gas network in the same room two months earlier, but this does not then lead to changes in the BMR. This leaves a difference between the drawings as recorded in the BMR and the actual situation. 'This resulted in a high risk of unwanted gas leakage with an explosion.'
Stedin must therefore ensure that the BMR is in order. 'This requires a planned approach and considerable efforts, but is essential to ensure safety, also given the increasing infrastructure for energy transition,' the investigation report reads. Incidentally, SSM believes that work by grid operators should be done as gas-free as possible to avoid explosions. SSM has regular discussions with Stedin and these show that the company is working on the improvement points and recommendations from the report. For instance, Stedin recognises the importance of an up-to-date and complete BMR and has started work on a plan of action that will be submitted to SSM for assessment.
Stedin expresses huge regret
In a response, Stedin said it takes the matter highly and goes through the dust. 'This is a serious incident with great impact on the employees involved. We share the conclusions of the report and must deal with them,' a spokesperson said.That something is wrong policy-wise is acknowledged by the grid operator. 'There are many protocols not followed and we need to do something about that. We already put in the effort that colleagues should call each other to account when safety measures are not followed, but we will now do that even more intensively.'
Victims called to account for mistakes
The employees involved who were injured have been addressed by Stedin for not following proper working practices. 'It has a big impact for them, but individual discussions have also been held for not following the rules.' For example, the correct materials and protective equipment would have been available but not used by the victims.
How the employees are doing individually, the spokesperson cannot say. However, he does let it be known that all those involved are still working at Stedin.
Source: https://www.omroepwest.nl/nieuws/4675773/explosie-met-zwaargewonden-kon-voorkomen-worden-stedin-had-maling-aan-veiligheidsregels
Translated from Dutch to English with Google translate