The authorities in The Hague, Netherlands, evacuated residents from dozens of homes after the discovery of a clandestine drug laboratory.

The authorities in The Hague evacuated residents from dozens of homes on Saturday after a clandestine laboratory for the production of synthetic drugs was discovered in a residential neighborhood.

This is the second evacuation of the same residents within 24 hours, the first taking place on Friday when approximately 150 people were forced to leave their homes so that specialized teams could remove containers with hazardous substances. After returning home, residents were evacuated again for the dismantling of the installations inside the laboratory. Authorities warned that there is a risk of the release of dangerous compounds into the atmosphere during the neutralization operations.

A special hotline has been opened to inform the population, and residents could return home the same evening. The investigation led to the arrest of four suspects, men aged between 34 and 71, with the laboratory being used for the production of ecstasy and MDMA.