Six airport employees arrested for cocaine trafficking though Schiphol
The Koninklijke Marechaussee arrested six men on suspicion of cocaine trafficking through Schiphol Airport. They’re also accused of belonging to a criminal organization. The suspects worked at companies on and around Schiphol, which gave them access to the airport, the Marechaussee said on Friday.
The Marechaussee launched this investigation after receiving information about cocaine being smuggled through the airport in wooden pallets from Suriname. They quickly identified a 51-year-old man from Diemen as the “airport mediator” in this trafficking operation. He approached the other suspects to smuggle the cocaine through the airport. “Through cooperation between the various employees, they were able to smuggle the drugs,” a spokesperson for the Marechaussee told NOS.
The suspects are all men between the ages of 32 and 51. They come from Diemen, Almere, and Amsterdam and worked at logistics, transport, and parcel delivery companies in and around the airport. “They had organized it well and used their authority to be at Schiphol. You need all kinds of people to get drugs off the plane at a well-secured airport like Schiphol, then transport them through the airport and get them out,” the spokesperson said.
The authorities raided several commercial buildings, homes, and vehicles. They seized administration, phones, vehicles, a taser, and around 124,000 euros in cash and cryptocurrency.
The investigation is ongoing. Three of the suspects have been remanded into custody. The other three will be arraigned on Friday.
The Koninklijke Marechausee spokesperson told NOS that drug trafficking is difficult to prevent despite the many barriers and strict security at the airport. “Ultimately, it’s about people. And if they are willing to look the other way for a nice compensation, we must do everything we can to prevent that.”
Last week, the Koninklijke Marechaussee arrested an airport worker at Schiphol after intercepting 120 kilograms of cocaine at the airport. The drugs were smuggled in various suitcases on a flight from Gambia. It is unclear whether these two cases are related.
The Koninklijke Marechaussee is a police force that is part of the Dutch military. In addition to policing the armed forces, the Marechaussee is responsible for border security, including at airports and seaports.
