Dutch fishermen accused of trafficking cocaine for Amsterdam criminals

Five fishermen from Urk are facing court on Monday for smuggling 261 kilograms of cocaine into the Netherlands last year. The Dutch authorities believe they did so on behalf of Amsterdam criminal Naoufal F., the Telegraaf reports.

The suspects are fishing boat owner Johannes N. (31) and his four crew members.

N. confessed to the court that he received 300 thousand euros for smuggling 261 kilograms of cocaine in June 2017. He told the court that he was intimidated by criminals. They showed him a list containing the names and addresses of his family members. "And a picture of my daughter. I was shocked."

The criminals behind the cocaine trafficking considered N. a risk and wanted to make sure he would not go to the police, according to the newspaper. Encrypted messages deciphered by the judiciary also show that the criminals were considering having N. murdered. N. refused to give the police the names of those behind the cocaine trafficking. "Then maybe I'll go home a bit earlier, but I'll have a few bullets in my head", he said in court.

The Public Prosecutor believes that Amsterdam gang leader Naoufal F. is behind the trafficking. He is currently standing trial for an attempted assassination on Peter R. in Diemen in November 2015. The Prosecutor recently demanded 20 years in prison against F. for this attempted assassination. Five other men were convicted of involvement in the attempted assassination and sentenced to up to 20 years in prison in July last year. 

The other four fishermen denied involvement in the cocaine trafficking. One of them admitted that he received 30 thousand euros, but said that he did not know it was for trafficking cocaine.