Gorilla, kickboxing is not more shady than boxing or MMA. The Netherlands has had a problem, but the underworld in kickboxing has been pretty much disbanded. And all is more professional now, let"s not talk about 20 years ago.
I don"t think many gym guys in the Netherlands are interested in such big criminal activities. Crime in the world of fighting will continue to exists, but it gets smaller. In Romania, the Romanian "hells angels" aka the clan of the minority of gipsies are in jail (the only few crime in PROFESSIONAL kickboxing over the last years were some fake "euros" and a case of selling pot aka weed/marijuana). The mentality is not to go to jail, some are still doing low crime probably but most of the others are not involved anymore in dishonest work. EU is also not so poor anymore and is highly controlled.
The EU tends that, I can"t speak for Russia. But nowadays the environment is much more normal. Not perfect though, but even in the Netherlands many of these people are established Dutchment/immigrants.
With the war on drugs it"s a big problem, from London to Constanța port in Romania. Not just German, Dutch, Spanish and whatever ports. We keep having cases, before the traffic was, happened only in Spain mostly, Portugal, Italy. I dislike to generalize, not just Soviets or some Yugos. And the heads are of course Latin Americans, not sure, maybe sometimes Asians/Africans.
Balrak was involved 15 years ago. This is a Dutch problem of kickboxing, it must be resolved, but the problem of drugs is general. Worldwide. The heads can fall, it was proved in Colombia.
Drug lords can use politicians they want, not just athletes.
For example, boxing had beatings, homicides, but I do agree drugs are very bad for image. And drugs in kickboxing in the Netherlands.
I trust the new generations, not entirely, but I do trust them. But the police must also help, being after the drug leaders.
It is a like when I watched a movie, these new "lords" (scumbags) are greedy fucks now. They want to send it everywhere, to globalize it. From South America to Bangkok/Tokyo. These phones are a reason of success, and not only, they find allies in technology. You would think in 2021 you could stop the traffic. Mobsters everywhere are also partners now.