The court in The Hague sentenced three men from Mexico to six years in prison for involvement in the production of crystal meth. The men were caught in the act of producing meth in a warehouse in in Wateringen on February 26 last year.
The suspects came to the Netherlands from Mexico. They were transported to the warehouse every day in February 2019 to produce the highly addictive drug, according to the court.
The police found a "nearly complete" crystal meth laboratory in a truck pulled over on the A12 highway near Arnhem on Monday, along with a quantity of meth, chemicals, and drug waste. "The lab was already in production, but was apparently being moved," the police said. The truck driver, a 40-year-old man from Beuningen, was arrested.
On Monday the police made four more arrests in the investigation into the organized crime family in Noord-Brabant allegedly run by Martien R. That means that a total of seven suspects are now in custody, including Martien R. himself.
The police raided at least 15 locations in the south of the Netherlands on Monday morning as part of an ongoing investigation into drug production and trafficking. Six people were arrested, ANP reports.
In Echt, Limburg, the police found thousands of liters of raw materials used in the production of synthetic drugs. A drug lab and storage were found in Zaltbommel.
The police also raided locations in Venlo, Odiliapeel, Eindhoven, Den Bosch, Schijndel, Uden and Velden. What was found has not been revealed as yet.
The Netherlands plays a major role in the production and trafficking of hard- and soft drugs across Europe. Along with Belgium, the Netherlands is one of Europe's largest producers of synthetic drugs like ecstasy and amphetamine. And the country is a major hub for trafficking in cannabis and cocaine, according to a report Europol and the European Monitoring Center for Drugs published last week.
Bart Stapert, lawyer of executed Dutchman in Indonesia tells the story of his is client, only hours after the execution. Papua-born Dutch citizen Ang Kiem Soei, 62, received a death sentence in 2003 for allegedly producing ecstasy in an Indonesian drug lab.
Dutch inmate Ang Kiem Soei will be executed in Indonesia this Sunday, Indonesian authorities announced this week. The 62-year-old Utrecht was sentenced to death in 2003 for allegedly producing the drug ecstasy in a lab in Indonesia.
Drugs criminality is almost overwhelming the police and the Department of Justice in the Netherlands, yet some ex-dealers are saying that most of the criminals they are pursuing are only amateurs. One convicted xtc-producer is even surprised that there aren't more deaths.
