Drug gang that used crocodiles for security give confessions

Members of an Amsterdam drug gang that used crocodiles as "guard dogs" gave partial confessions to the police. This was revealed during a preliminary hearing in the case against nine suspects on Thursday, Het Parool reports. This drug gang made headlines in February when the police raided seven properties and found two massive crocodiles guarding hundreds of thousands of euros in what is believed to be drug profits. In addition to the crocodiles and cash, jewelry and paintings, the police also discovered crystal meth, GHB, cocaine and ecstasy in their raids. The Prosecutor believes that the suspects traded in large amounts of crystal meth and other hard drugs for years. The Public Prosecutor believes he can prove drug trafficking from January 1st last year until the gang was arrested on February 23rd this year. During the investigation the police identified and spied on 11,194 telephone contacts of suspects. According to investigators, the suspects regularly discussed drugs and drug deliveries. Surveillance teams also saw drug deliveries being made to main suspect Roel D. According to the Prosecutor, the group had two important stashes in the Daalwijk and FLorin apartment buildings in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. The police traced some 300 buyers and arrested 21 of them. Some of them spoke of drug trafficking over several years. On of the confessing suspects said D. has been involved in drug trafficking for "eight to ten years", according the newspaper. Roel D. confessed that he began selling "drug remedies" in the "gay scene" and that his trade became "somewhat bigger" than expected. In court on Thursday he said he was "surprised and alarmed" that the prosecution is depicting him as a professionally operating criminal organization. "I did some things in the past, but wanted to stay out of it of late", he told the court. According to his lawyer, D. is not doing well in the macho culture in prison due to his homosexuality.