Hidden room filled with weed forces coffeeshop's closure

By Janene Pieters on May 22, 2015 - 10:12
Marijuana
. Marijuana (Cannabis sativa L.) plant. Source:Wikimedia/United States Fish and Wildlife Service

A business premises on Kooikerstraat in Tilburg from where The Grass Company coffee shops are supplied, has been closed down for 6 months. Mayor Peter Noordanus made this decision on Thursday after large quantities of cannabis were discovered in a hidden room.

The discovery was made during an investigation initiated by the Public Ministry on Thursday. The mayor is stunned by what he saw at the site. "The ingenuity and cunning with which the trade is hidden is staggering." Noordanus said according to the municipality of Tilburg's website. According to the mayor, the hidden room could only have been conceived by the architect and contractor working together. "I, together with the Public Prosecutor, will definitely also address the relevant contractor and architect on this matter. It can not be that in Tilburg business in construction cooperate in organized crime."

According to the Telegraaf, the police also raided the building of The Grass Company itself, which is situated on Spoorlaan. These actions happened at the same time that the court in The Hague was handling a lawsuit against the company's founder Johan van Laarhoven. He has been in custody in Thailand, where he is suspected of money laundering, since last summer. His lawyer, Gerard Spong demanded that the Netherlands ensures that Van Laarhoven is extradited as soon as possible.

According to the Public Prosecutor, the police actions on Thursday is not related to the lawsuit.

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