Torture chamber suspects were planning at least 7 murders: Prosecutor

The suspects around torture containers found in Noord-Brabant last year had plans and intentions to assassinate at least seven people, the Public Prosecutor said in court on Wednesday. In a criminal conflict involving millions of eruos, prime suspect 49-year-old Roger P., alias Piet Costa, wanted to murder his rivals and their families, including children, the Prosecutor said in the introductory session at the high security court in Amsterdam, ANP reports.

The police became aware of P. and the gang allegedly around him last summer, after authorities managed to break into the databases of encrypted chat service Encrochat and gained access to millions of messages sent between criminals. Investigation led the police to a warehouse full of shipping containers modified to imprison and torture people. 

The containers contained a variety of torture implements including items for waterboarding, two dentist chairs equipped with straps to tie people up, and a mobile operating table. These items were bought on Marktplaats, among other places, the Prosecutor revealed on Wednesday. In a warehouse in Rotterdam, the gang stored stolen cars that could be used to kidnap their victims, the Prosecutor said.

According to the Prosecutor, P. is the spider in the web. Various messages between him and direct accomplices showed their plans for murder. "They must die, right down to their dog," P. said in one message, the Prosecutor said.

Interrogation of the total 10 suspects in this case so far "yielded very little", the Prosecutor said. They either remain silent or lie. 

Roger P. is also the prime suspect in a large drug case around the smuggling of about 4,800 kilograms of cocaine through the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam in 2015 and 2016.