The investigation started on June 26, 2024, when a suspicious package was found at a postal center in The Hague. The package contained over 200 grams of hard drugs hidden under a board game. The package was seized and the HARP, Hit and Run Postal Team, initiated an investigation.

HARP

The HARP is a collaboration between the police, customs, and the Public Prosecution Service. The team is involved in tracking down and prosecuting criminals who send drugs by post to abroad.

Multiple Packages

This case did not stop at one package. On June 29, customs seized several packages containing narcotics again. The packages appeared to have the same external characteristics as the first package. 

Shortly thereafter, customs and the police managed to intercept 16 packages containing drugs. These included narcotics, such as MDMA and cocaine in various quantities. The drugs were on their way to different countries, including India, Malaysia, and New Zealand.

Investigations by HARP revealed that all the packages were sent by the same person. On October 29, 2024, the man was arrested in Hilversum.

Special Buddha

In one of the packages, customs found a Buddha statue. At first glance, there seems to be nothing unusual, but upon investigation, it turns out that the statue contains MDMA. This statue was also sent by the suspect.

Trade via Dark Web

Furthermore, according to the Public Prosecution Service, investigations revealed that the suspect was also involved in selling drugs via the dark web. He sold various types of drugs, and customer reviews indicated that they were very satisfied with the quality and service.

The suspect has been an essential link in the international drug chain and has contributed to maintaining the chain of criminal undermining activities, said the public prosecutor.