Dutch marijuana trader still stuck in Thai prison

Dutch coffee shop owner Johan van Laarhoven is still in custody in a Thai prison, and he will stay there for the time being. On Monday morning the court in The Hague determined that the Dutch government does not need to ask Thailand to extradite him, Brabants Dagblad reports. According to the newspaper, Van Laarhoven's lawyer had demanded that the Netherlands ask for the Tilburg man's extradition. Van Laarhoven, the owner of coffee shop chain The Grass Company, has been imprisoned in the Klong Prem prison in Bangkok since July 2014. According to the lawyer, the conditions in the prison are appalling. Van Laarhoven stands accused of money laundering. The lawyer believes that Van Laarhoven's arrest was the direct result of a tip Justice in the Netherlands gave to the Thai authorities. The court in The Hague ruled that the Dutch government did not act unlawfully.