Underworld figure Piet S. receives 17-year jail sentence in major drug case

Piet S. was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Thursday by the court in The Hague for various crimes including drug trafficking and money laundering in the major case known as Taxus. The man, who has a long-lasting reputation in the underworld, was according to the court the leader of an organization responsible for receiving and sending various types of drugs.

"He could rank with the top of the Dutch drug world," said the court, calling the acts attributed to S. and his group "unprecedented."

His son Freddy was also on trial as a member of his father's organization. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, also for his involvement with the illegal gambling site Edobet. It was previously revealed that Freddy saw himself as a kind of agent overseeing players on the gambling site. Among those who gambled on the site was the name of former professional footballer Dirk Kuijt, who was also heard as a witness.

The Taxus case has been ongoing for years. More than 20 suspects were tried, who, according to the court, had various roles in Piet S.'s organization. Sentences for the other defendants ranged from fines to prison sentences from six months to twelve years.

Evidence against Piet S. included decrypted messages and wiretapped conversations. Listening devices were installed in a so-called 'man cave' of S. and his group at a car dealership in Uithoorn, Noord Holland.

S. was notably heard threatening two men who owed money to one of his friends. "I've done nothing Piet, I've done nothing," was repeatedly heard in the recording. "Tell me what I did." The voice of one of the men grew louder, and he seemed to sob at one point. In the background, S. could be heard shouting insults like "kankerhond" (cancer dog). The court stated that Piet S. revealed in this audio clip a "ruthless and violent side of himself."

S. himself provided a different interpretation during the trial sessions. He claimed he was not involved in drug trafficking but acted as a kind of mediator for criminal groups. The court dismissed this explanation. The Public Prosecution Service demanded a 16-year prison sentence for the man in May.

S.'s lawyer will now review the verdict, which has 5,000 pages, and will provide a response later.