News item | 02-05-2024 | 16:56
In the municipality of Stichtse Vecht, the police arrested a 53-year-old man on Monday for drug smuggling and laundering large amounts of cash. In addition, the man still has an open account from the State of 50 million euros due to criminally earned assets. His 52-year-old ex-partner from Amstelveen has also been arrested on suspicion of money laundering.
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Crime money
Decrypted crypto chats from 2020 gave police and Public Prosecution Service insight into drug smuggling and money laundering practices of the suspect, who was sentenced to 8 years in prison in 2013 for similar crimes. In the aftermath of this criminal case, he was also sentenced by the Rotterdam court in 2020 to pay approximately 50 million euros, the estimated proceeds of drug trafficking and extortion.
This criminal assets are probably housed in real estate in the Netherlands, Spain, Nicaragua, Dubai and in a Swiss bank account.
The man has appealed against this conviction in the confiscation case to the Court of Appeal in The Hague.
The current criminal investigation, which is being carried out by a combined team of the FIOD and the National Investigation and Intervention Unit of the Police, focuses on a shipment of 250 kilos of cocaine to Valencia in Spain in 2020, the preparation of drug transports and the laundering of 550,000 euros. When the man was arrested, police also found a semi-automatic Browning Hi-Power 9mm pistol and more than 20 grams of hard drugs.
Criminal assets
The investigation also extends to determining the criminal assets of the suspect. The criminal investigation shows that the man and his family members live a high life. A lot of money is spent on a luxurious lifestyle and high expenses on car rental, hotels, restaurants, cosmetic procedures and visits to major events.
Presumably this life is paid for in cash. The investigators are looking for invisible money flows within the legal financial systems. It is known from the previous criminal case against him that the suspect does not transfer any assets in his own name and uses cat catchers. The man probably resides alternately in the Netherlands, Spain and Dubai. He was about to leave for Spain on Monday.
After his arrest, the suspicions against the man were expanded to include firearms and drug possession. The examining magistrate at the court in Rotterdam decided on Thursday that the man will remain in custody for two weeks longer. The woman was released after questioning, but remains a suspect.
