Dutch prosecutors seek 12-year sentences in massive cocaine trafficking case
Ten suspects face severe prison sentences for their roles in importing thousands of kilos of cocaine into the Netherlands. The case highlights the professionalism and resilience of criminal networks, impacting public safety and law enforcement efforts.
| Key Data Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Suspects | 10 men, aged 28-55, from Blaricum, Bussum, Ede, Amsterdam, The Hague, Zeewolde, Venezuela |
| Cocaine Seized | 7,700 kilos from Ecuador |
| Initial Arrest | 25 October 2023, Tynaarlo, Drenthe |
| Warehouse Locations | Tynaarlo (Drenthe), Bleiswijk (Zuid-Holland) |
| Vehicles Found | 5 with hidden compartments, including a firearm, magazines, and a silencer |
| Money Laundering Suspect | €45,000 and 4 million Tramadol pills |
| Sentencing Demands | Up to 12 years (1x), 9 years (1x), 8 years (2x), 6, 5, 4, 3.5, 3 (2x) |
| Verdict Date | 6 May 2026 |
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) is responsible for prosecuting criminal offenses in the Netherlands, ensuring that suspects are brought to justice. In this case, the OM is leading the investigation and prosecution of a large-scale cocaine trafficking operation, demonstrating its role in combating organized crime and protecting public safety.
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Read the full translated article below
Public Prosecution Service demands up to 12 years' imprisonment in investigation into large-scale cocaine import
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has demanded prison sentences of up to 12 years on Friday at the Rotterdam District Court against 10 suspects for their involvement in international drug trafficking. Some are suspected of participating in a criminal drugs organisation involved in importing large quantities of cocaine, including a shipment of 7,700 kilos from Ecuador. Others are on trial for preparing drug imports. The men, aged between 28 and 55, come from Blaricum, Bussum, Ede, Amsterdam, The Hague, Zeewolde and Venezuela.
The case came to light on 25 October 2023 when police arrested a truck driver following reports of a suspicious situation at a warehouse in Tynaarlo, Drenthe. The man was said to have unloaded boxes of bananas at the company in the warehouse, but told officers he ‘knew exactly what they were looking for’. He also stated that ‘the last time, the owners had a shipment of 7,000 kilos of cocaine seized at a fruit wholesaler in the Rotterdam region’.
Hidden compartment
Police did not hesitate and raided the warehouse in Tynaarlo the next day, 26 October 2023, arresting seven suspects; the rest were arrested later. Officers found five vehicles with hidden compartments in and around the warehouse, containing, among other things, a firearm, magazines and a silencer. Police also found a money-counting machine and container seals. The items found in the warehouse and the driver’s statement reinforced suspicions that preparations were being made in the Tynaarlo warehouse to receive a shipment of drugs.
Warehouse in Bleiswijk
The National Expertise and Operations Unit of the police conducted an extensive investigation under the direction of the National Public Prosecution Service. The seized data carriers of the suspects quickly revealed an organisation involved in importing cocaine shipments, including a specific shipment of more than 7,700 kilos hidden among bananas destined for a warehouse in Bleiswijk. That shipment had been intercepted in the port of Antwerp ten days before the raid in Tynaarlo and only a sample of cocaine was allowed through to the destination in Bleiswijk, where police arrested several people, some of whom have already been convicted.
The suspects now on trial managed to evade capture at that time. However, seized phones and CCTV footage from the warehouse also revealed their role in importing the massive shipment. Police are also investigating the buyer of the banana shipment from Ecuador. This has revealed that the suspects used companies as fronts. The actual management was in the hands of the organisation, even though the company was registered in someone else’s name.
‘Soft drink club’
The panic that ensued after the police raid in Bleiswijk is evident from a message sent by one of the suspects who managed to escape. Everyone was picked up yesterday, I just managed to get away. So total panic here. I think I’ll be picked up today or tomorrow. On the same afternoon as the raid, the suspects bought new phones. “This timing strongly suggests that the collective switch of phones and numbers is related to what happened earlier in Bleiswijk,” said the public prosecutor. From that day on, the suspects communicated via WhatsApp under the soft drink nicknames Cola, Cassis, Fanta, Bitter Lemon and Seven Up. “Their immediate concern about what had happened and its consequences confirms that they knew this involved a cocaine shipment, that the shipment had been intercepted and that people had been arrested as a result,” the prosecutor added.
New shipment
This did not deter the suspects from continuing that same day to prepare for importing a new shipment, this time to the warehouse in Tynaarlo. According to the Public Prosecution Service, all ten men played a role in the preparatory actions for a new shipment, with the ‘soft drink club’ forming the hard core.
“The suspects were professionally involved in (preparing) the large-scale import of cocaine. This professionalism is evident not only from their ability to import shipments of almost 8,000 kilos at once, but also from their ability to switch gears and make preparations for importing a new shipment within days after the shipment was seized. It is telling that they were not deterred by the police intervention,” said one of the prosecutors.
Two suspects who played a coordinating role were being prosecuted in another major drugs case in eastern Netherlands at the time of these offences. The Public Prosecution Service particularly condemns them for continuing to commit such offences while their pre-trial detention in that case had been suspended on conditions. One of these two men is also suspected of money laundering of €45,000 and possession of 4 million Tramadol pills. The prosecutors demanded the maximum sentence of 12 years against this suspect. The other men face prison sentences of 9, 8 (2x), 6, 5, 4, 3.5, 3 (2x). The court will deliver its verdict on 6 May.