A high court in Chile reviewed the Netherlands' extradition request to have prisoner Ricard R.V. transferred to Dutch custody to face accusations of running a 40-million dollar cocaine empire. As part of a major money laundering investigation, in 2016 the police raided buildings on Beethovenstraat and Groenendaalstraat in Amsterdam, and in Badoehevedorp and Amstelveen.
RV denied any connection to drug trafficking.
Cocaine smuggling in various of the Netherlands' coastal areas is increasing considerably, according to the mayors of these areas. The problem is a "big and growing concern" and doesn't get enough priority, Rob van der Zwaag, mayor of Veere and chairman of the Association of Zeeland Municipalities, said to the Telegraaf.
A cargo inspector at the port of Rotterdam was arrested two weeks ago on suspicion of involvement in the trafficking of nearly 200 kilograms of cocaine, the Public Prosecutor announced on Tuesday. The 42-year-old man from Rotterdam was connected to the discovery of cocaine in the shaft of one of the anchor chains of a Colombian coal carrier at the end of March.
Politicians, police and police unions responded with indignation to news that cocaine trafficker Cetin G. disappeared without a trace. He cut through his ankle monitor and went into hiding in December. Why was this man, on trial and then convicted for trafficking 15 thousand kilos of cocaine, only being guarded by an ankle monitor, they want to know.
The police and judiciary are looking for cocaine trafficker Cetin G., the Public Prosecutor confirmed to NOS. The Prosecutor believes C. cut through his ankle monitor and went into hiding.
Political parties ChristenUnie-SGP and PvdD in Bosschenhoofd wants to know from the province of Noord-Brabant how an Amsterdam man managed to smuggle 12 kilograms of cocaine through Breda International Airport in December without being caught, BN De Stem reports.
Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb, the police and the Public Prosecutor in the city are concerned about the increasing cocaine trafficing through the port of Rotterdam and the consequences it will have on the city's residents, the Telegraaf reports.
"There is so much money involved in the smuggling of cocaine that the crime that goes along with it is huge", Public Prosecutor spokesperson Jeichien de Graaff said to the Telegraaf. "We see it here in the region but also in other cities."
The National Police are very concerned about the large amounts of cocaine coming to the Netherlands. In the past 10 months the Dutch authorities seized over 30 thousand kilos of cocaine in the country.
Three men were arrested and 100 kilograms of cocaine was confiscated in Amsterdam's De Pijp, the police announced on Monday. The arrests were made as part of an ongoing investigation into cocaine trafficking.
The PVV wants Desi Bouterse, President of Suriname, to be placed under arrest if he attends Nelson Mandela's funeral in South Africa. The Dutch government will need the cooperation of South Africa for his arrest and extradition.
