Today, the Public Prosecution Service demanded a four-year prison sentence for a 56-year-old man from Oostzaan. The prosecution believes it has proven that he traded 14 kilograms of cocaine between March and June 2020, engaged in preparatory actions for this, and possessed a firearm. In September 2024, a then 48-year-old co-defendant from the same town was sentenced to 30 months in prison. According to the prosecution, he was also guilty of drug trafficking by acting as a drug and money courier for the 56-year-old main defendant.
Investigation Start
The polices crypto analysis team tracked the 56-year-old man from Oostzaan through Encrochat messages from another drug investigation. The identity of the man from Oostzaan was established based on names mentioned in the chat conversations, combined with locations mentioned, such as the name of a hotel in Oostzaan and the football club OFC Oostzaan. The obtained chats revealed that the suspect was guilty of (preparatory actions for) cocaine trafficking. The chats also indicated that the suspect used a taxi driver, whom he directed to transport drugs and money. Research data showed that this taxi driver was the now-convicted accomplice.
Undermining
According to the prosecution, the main defendant is the textbook example of a undermining drug criminal. This is evident from his long-term use of encrypted communication, which is only seen in the criminal circuit. He has also been actively involved as a criminal money lender for years at the amateur football club OFC Oostzaan. The municipality of Oostzaan has tried in many ways to exclude the suspect from the club. Ultimately, a licensing condition was imposed that the suspect had to distance himself from any involvement with the club.
Hotel
The prosecutor at the hearing stated: “The lifestyle of the suspect fits the lucrative nature of the suspicion: he is registered at his wife and childrens home but actually lives in a large hotel chain in Oostzaan.” Over two years, he booked nearly €200,000 worth of hotel rooms, sometimes multiple rooms at once. This was also the case on the day of his arrest in June 2022. “His hotel room was set up like his living room, complete with his own clothing rack and candy jar, but also with a stock of drugs for personal use and a loaded firearm. The hotel management turned a blind eye to these activities while the suspect was carrying nearly forty key cards from the hotel,” said the prosecutor.
Sentencing Demand
The prosecution believes it has proven that the 56-year-old suspect played a directing role in the cocaine trade in Oostzaan. The prosecution demands four years for trafficking in hard drugs, preparatory actions for this, and illegal firearm possession. Such trafficking often has a financially lucrative character. This has been reflected by the police and prosecution in the luxurious lifestyle of this suspect, who not only spent exorbitant (cash) amounts on hotel stays but also on several expensive watches. The case was already heard by the court in September but was postponed at the request of the defense attorney because the suspect did not appear due to personal problems.
Confiscation
In court, the prosecution announced that the money the suspect earned from his criminal activities must be repaid to the state through a separate confiscation procedure. The Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) investigated the suspects expenditures and calculated that the illicitly obtained benefit is approximately €900,000. The confiscation procedure will be addressed later, after the criminal case, in the Noord-Holland court.