Corrupt customs officer to appeal against drug trafficking sentence

Former customs officer Gerrit G. is appealing against the 14 years in prison the Rotterdam court sentenced him to on Tuesday for drug trafficking at the port of Rotterdam, his lawyer Jan-Hein Kuijpers said, according to AD.

Kuijpers called the sentence "horribly high" compared to previous penalties imposed for similar drug cases. According to him, Gerrit G. was forced into letting containers filled with cocaine pass through customs unchecked. When he realized the drug criminals would give him no choice, he said he wanted money for it, the lawyer said.

The court found G. guilty of importing 3,400 kilograms of cocaine, earning him 3.5 million euros. According to Kuijpers, any customs officer who earns around 2,500 euros in salary would find that amount hard to resist. "Gerrit G. is partially a victim", the lawyer said.