The Public Prosecution Service today demanded a twenty-year prison sentence against an alleged leader of a large drug organization. Besides leading the organization, the 44-year-old man is suspected of involvement in multiple drug transports and laundering millions in criminal money. He is also alleged to have played a role in an attempted incitement to murder. In 2024 and 2025, six other members of the organization were sentenced to lengthy prison terms, including one of the operational leaders of the organization.
Thanks to the dismantling of several crypto platforms, police and the Public Prosecution Service gained insight in 2022 into the activities of the members of the criminal organization, whose core is formed by family members. The organization was for years a major player in the international drug market and cooperated with major drug criminals worldwide in the production and trade of, among others, ecstasy, cocaine, and (meth)amphetamine. The public prosecutor previously said about this: “That cooperation confirms, in our opinion, that the organization plays in the Champions League of drug crime.”
He set the course
The man who stood trial today is wanted and was therefore not present at the hearing. By using a multitude of encrypted phones and crypto platforms, corrupt contacts, cars registered in the names of third parties, and having others perform various errands, he and other members of the organization were able to remain out of sight for a long time. Once under scrutiny by police and prosecution, cracked chat messages clearly show his leadership role at a strategic level. The public prosecutor: “He set the course and decided with whom business was done. Further investigation shows that under his leadership, the organization sent large sums of money via underground bankers mainly to Spain and Dubai.”
Core business
Just a quick look at the extensive communication on crypto platforms shows, according to the public prosecutor, that the organization was almost exclusively involved in drug trafficking. A selection of terms used: import, entry, in-man, strike, batch, warehouse, stash, Peruvian, boli, collo, expensive, prices, pap, tokens, smell, quality, guarantee, pieces, blocks, vacuum, p, m, a, PMK, apaan, powder, levels, oil, transport, UK, skippy, Antwerp, door, intent, percentages. According to the Public Prosecution Service, this shows that this was the core business of members of this criminal cooperative with the suspect as one of the key leaders.
‘Persistent’
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the arrest of a large part of the organization did not lead to him leaving this world. The Public Prosecution Service even doubts whether his criminal activities have ended. Other investigations indicate that the suspect still lives in luxury in Dubai. The public prosecutor about this presumed persistence: “The fear is that he simply continued from his lazy chair with his phone in hand.”
Attempted incitement to murder
The image that the international drug trade is a world full of violence also prominently emerges in this investigation. Messages extensively discussed removing someone in the criminal milieu who threatened to reveal the criminal affairs of the organizations leaders. Besides the many drug and money laundering charges, the man also stands trial for attempted incitement to murder.
‘Disruptive influence on society’
The criminal organization that the suspect led for a longer period has an extremely disruptive influence on society with their business. Violence was not shunned to maintain their leading position. The file also clearly shows that various contacts and persons are involved in the criminal ‘game’ and are corrupted. The upper and underworld become intertwined due to the suspect and the organization. The file is full of examples showing that the suspect aimed to earn money and therefore committed these crimes.
Lengthy prison sentences
Given all of the above, the Public Prosecution Service considers it only fair that for the more than 7 years of large-scale organized trade in ecstasy, (meth)amphetamine, and cocaine, and the laundering of millions of euros, a long, unconditional prison sentence is imposed. The Public Prosecution Service demands a 20-year prison sentence and a fine of 87,000 euros against this suspect. In a separate confiscation procedure, the Public Prosecution Service wants to seize more than 12.5 million euros from the suspect. That procedure will continue after the verdict in this case. The court will announce its verdict on a date yet to be determined.
