The thick walls and bars of a prison did not stop this suspect from continuing his trade in hard drugs with the necessary power and means. We are talking about a 36-year-old man from The Hague who is suspected of national and international trade in cocaine, speed, ecstasy, hashish, and hemp for a period of six months. The Public Prosecution Service is demanding a 10-year prison sentence.
On August 4, 2020, the suspect was arrested in another investigation into the import and export of narcotic drugs. The police tracked the man down after the server of the company Encrochat in France was hacked and so-called Encrochat messages became available to justice. The company Encrochat had been providing an encrypted PGP messaging service (Pretty Good Privacy) which was primarily used by criminals.
Phone in cell
The suspect becomes detained in this investigation but already has access to a mobile phone after just a few weeks. Chat messages show that pressure was applied and that a corrupt guard was arranged. On August 26, 2020, the suspect wrote in a message: that he is sitting in his cell and can talk. There are also several conversations in which he indicates that he is in prison because of Encrochat. He also uses account names that resemble the names he has used previously.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, it is clear that the suspect is the one sending the messages. It is explicitly mentioned that a search was conducted where no drugs were found, but 1.5 million euros in cash was seized. In the investigation for which the suspect was arrested, the police seized an amount of € 1,469,900.
Large quantities
According to the Public Prosecution Service, there is also sufficient evidence that the suspect has continued his trade in narcotics. The messages talk about large quantities of narcotics and enormous sums of money. He would have contacts regarding trade to England, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark. The dossier contains various calculations from which it can be inferred that trade is taking place.
On September 4, 2020, the suspect has a conversation with an accomplice about the costs of a transport. They talk about collo and stamp. The accomplice says: they are leaving from collo on Sunday. This refers to a transport of cocaine from Colombia. In the chats, they discuss blocks and that he can pick up 7 pieces, but also in kilograms and that it is better to grab 50 right away because there is nothing left.
Demand
The suspect is part of a category of detainees with the necessary power and means who are not deterred by thick walls and bars, said the public prosecutor. A category of detainees we should be seriously concerned about, as violence traditionally targets settlements within the criminal circuit, we are increasingly seeing it also targeting, for example, guardians of the rule of law, such as the prison staff who were reportedly pressured. Crime is literally spreading.
Because this involves frequent import and export, where sometimes millions were traded weekly, and the suspect continued in prison by corrupting someone, the Public Prosecution Service demands a prison sentence of 10 years.
The court will rule in two weeks.