The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demanded 6 years in prison against a 70-year-old man from Waalwijk on Monday in court in Den Bosch. The OM sees him as an important player within an international drug organization involved in large-scale cocaine trafficking, including a transport of 1200 kilos. The OM and the defense have made procedural agreements.
Previously, several members of the drug organization were already on trial in investigation 26Leon. Their criminal activities came to light through the dismantling of various crypto platforms, including EncroChat and SkyECC. The suspect has also come into view as a major player within the organization, after which a new investigation into him was launched. According to the OM, he had a say in important decisions.
‘Old Rolex’
The 70-year-old man, known in the criminal world as ‘old Rolex’, has also been closely involved in the importation of the 1200 kilos of cocaine in March 2020, according to the public prosecutor of the National Prosecutors Office. Several big names from the underworld have already been convicted for this transport. Decrypted chats show that the man from Waalwijk was kept well informed about the progress of the transport. It also becomes clear that days after the successful importation of the cocaine, they were already busy preparing for a new transport. The suspect then asks one of the leaders of the organization if they are going to set a new one, because: then we earn something.
Encrypted phones
According to the OM, the suspect was also active in arranging encrypted phones and subscriptions for the organization. In addition, the public prosecutor sees him as the brain behind legal strategies for members of the organization who are in prison. Furthermore, he managed the organization’s money pot and decided who among the members or their partners received money.
One million
The OM and the defense have made so-called procedural agreements. Part of the agreements is that the suspect provides 1 million euros as security for his confiscated Rolex. After payment of this amount, his beloved Rolex is returned to him. In a ruling in accordance with the procedural agreements, the suspect waives the already paid 1 million euros.
Procedural agreements
The OM believes that making procedural agreements contributes to an efficient and effective resolution of criminal cases. It has been agreed that the public prosecutor will lower the sentence demand and that the lawyer will not oppose the evidence or appeal. The court ultimately has the final word and decides whether the agreed prison sentence is actually imposed.
In this case, the court made an immediate ruling and convicted the suspect in accordance with the made procedural agreements.