The Public Prosecution Service demands 8 years in prison for a 33-year-old man from The Hague for the preparation of the production of and trade in hard drugs in the Westland. He also possessed large amounts of money and firearms.
The case started in October 2022 after multiple anonymous reports about cocaine trafficking by the suspect. Other co-defendants also came into view. However, it was not easy to gain insight into the case. The suspects were cautious of the police and managed to conceal their activities well.
In February 2023, the police managed to link them to materials for a drug lab stored in a warehouse in Naaldwijk. A drug lab found in April in a commercial property in s-Gravenzande could also be linked to the suspects. When the police managed to secretly record conversations of the suspect, the picture was further clarified, and the suspects were arrested in September 2023.
Drugs, Money, and Weapons
When the suspect was arrested, the police conducted searches at multiple locations, including at family members homes. The wiretapped conversations revealed that he hid money and other items in various places. Large sums of money and several firearms were indeed found in different locations. In a shed, the police discovered 140 kilos of hemp and in a holiday home, another 52 kilos of cocaine.
Earlier, plea agreements were made with three other suspects; this means that suspects cooperate, the Public Prosecution Service proposes a sentence, and the court does not need to hold an extensive hearing. According to the agreements, the co-defendants were sentenced to 44, 32, and 32 months in prison by the court.
The 33-year-old man from The Hague rejected the proposed plea agreements, which is why he appeared in court for a detailed substantive hearing on Tuesday. According to the prosecutor, he had a leading role compared to the other suspects. The Public Prosecution Service demanded 8 years in prison for preparing the production of and trade in hard drugs, possession of hard and soft drugs, possession of weapons, and laundering over 175,000 euros. The court will rule in two weeks.