The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demands prison sentences of 13 years and 74 months against two men from Breda for the import of cocaine and money laundering. “They were involved with hundreds of kilos of cocaine. Not amounts for street thugs or beginners,” said the public prosecutor who wants both suspects to repay 1,697,700 euros each to the state.
The investigation into both brothers, aged 40 and 42, began in 2021 after the messaging service Sky-ECC was hacked. Police and justice gained access to a large amount of decrypted messages, many of which relate to drug trafficking. Both Breda residents were identified as users of such a Pretty Good Privacy phone and linked to drug smuggling.
Decrypted chats show that the suspects were trying to bring 700 kilograms of cocaine from Chile to the Netherlands in 2021. They planned to ensure that the drugs were taken out of a container upon arrival in Rotterdam. The brothers had a plan ready to rob the driver of a truck. The weapons for this were already arranged. However, it never came to that, as the cocaine had already been intercepted in South America.
Stacks of banknotes
During chats, the brothers also discussed money, a lot of money. Photos were exchanged showing thick stacks of banknotes. “The tens of thousands of euros are flying around us,” said the prosecutor. In his indictment, he addressed a chat dispute between the brothers. They had a conflict over a sum of 2.6 million euros, which the younger of the two allegedly took from their common pot.
The Public Prosecution Service accuses the brothers of having laundered money for years, and according to the OM, it is unbelievable that this money was obtained legally. There is no evidence to support that. After the arrest of the younger Breda resident, police seized luxury cars, expensive watches, and a cash amount of around 100,000 euros. “And you don’t have to hide legal money,” said the public prosecutor.
Cocaine picked up in Germany
The investigation, under the name Glencoe, revealed that the younger suspect (40) had been involved in drug smuggling or its preparation for a long time. For example, in February 2020, he brought twenty kilos of coke from Brazil to the Netherlands. In December of that year, he contributed to the transport of 839 kilos of cocaine from Costa Rica. The decrypted messages also show that the suspect had access to 600 kilos of coke in 2021.
Through a seized iPhone, it also became clear that the 40-year-old suspect was involved in cocaine (4 kilograms) and MDMA (5 kilos) trade at the beginning of 2024. He is also accused of having 18 liters of laughing gas in his home.
Role model
The OM concludes that both suspects have been involved on a large scale in various forms of undermining crime: drugs, violence, and money laundering. “Such crimes deserve only very severe prison sentences,” said the prosecutor, who noted that the younger suspect has a role model status given his past as a professional footballer and mentor to young football talents. “It will be shocking for these young players and their parents when they read what position the suspect holds in the world of international drug trafficking.”
Against the older suspect, the prosecutor demanded a sentence of 74 months in prison, against the younger 13 years in prison. He also requested the court to impose fines of 30,000 euros (40-year-old man) and 10,000 euros (42-year-old man) on both suspects.
Both suspects have significantly enriched themselves in recent years with their criminal practices. Based on the amounts they noted in their chats, the OM believes it is likely that they enjoyed a benefit of 1,697,700 euros each. If it is up to the public prosecutor, that entire amount will be repaid to the state.
The court will rule on August 12, 2025.