Drug smuggling still seems to be a lucrative business for many people. People think that by simply staying out of the hands of the police, they can earn a lot of money with a simple action. Both entire organizations and individual smugglers are falling into the hands of the police with increasing regularity. In 2013, too, there were many news reports reporting arrests in connection with drug smuggling in which Dutch nationals were also involved.
Dutch people in the news due to drug smuggling
In recent years, records have been kept of when someone with Dutch nationality has been arrested abroad for drug smuggling. Unfortunately, it is much more common than you might initially think. Also check out:
- Dutch arrested for drug smuggling: 2010
- Dutch arrested for drug smuggling: 2011
- Dutch arrested for drug smuggling: 2012
Source: Mdf, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
The Dutch government has already taken many measures to combat drug smuggling. Everyone flying to the Netherlands from the so-called risk areas is 100% checked at the airport. Body scanners have even been placed in front of it. You cannot avoid an inspection. Risk areas include Suriname, Netherlands Antilles, Peru, Venezuela, Dominican Republic. Passengers from these areas are also followed towards, for example, Spanish airports. They often use Spain to fly from here to other locations, including the Netherlands. In this way it is hoped that 100% control can still be avoided.
Tip of the iceberg
If the police again discover a smuggler, smuggling route or even an entire organization, then that is of course a good thing. However, only successful actions by the police make the news. The question is how often the police succeed in discovering smuggling, or rather: how often the police fail. Because that figure is probably considerably higher. The fact that many people still try to earn a lot of money in this way shows that it is still often possible to stay out of the hands of the police. The chance of being caught probably does not outweigh the profits that can be made if it succeeds. Especially for individual smugglers, this consideration is often the reason to do it: with one successful smuggling, for example, one can get rid of a debt burden.
Reports in the news in 2013
Below is an overview of news reports in the national and international media in 20013, which report discovered smugglers, smuggling routes or drug networks and organizations and in which a Dutch person is involved. The overview is updated periodically.
October 2013: Arrests in coke trafficking via Schiphol
The Royal Military Police has arrested fifteen suspects in a large-scale investigation into the import of cocaine via Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, at least seven of whom work at the airport. The arrested suspects are of Dutch, Turkish and Colombian nationality, ranging in age from 23 to 65 years. A number of these suspects were arrested by an arrest team because it was suspected that they were in possession of a firearm. During various searches of suspects’ homes, firearms, money and drugs were found and seized. The men are suspected of being part of a criminal organization that organized several cocaine transports from Central and South America to the Netherlands.
October 2013: Schiphol staff arrested for drug smuggling
The Royal Military Police at Schiphol has arrested a total of four men on suspicion of drug smuggling. After a 30-year-old man from Ecuador was caught with nine packages of cocaine, approximately 12 kilos, during a customs check, the other three suspects, two men from Amsterdam (44 and 51) and a 44-year-old man from Hoofddorp, were also arrested. . The three Dutch people all work for a company at Schiphol and are suspected of complicity in the import of the coke.
October 2013: Dutchman arrested in the Alicante area
The Guardia Civil has arrested a Dutchman in the province of Alicante, near Aspe, who had 455 cannabis plants in a house. The plantation was modernly equipped with irrigation and fertilization equipment. A drying room was also set up. There were 30 kilos of cannabis and five sealed packs of 5 kilos. There were also boxes of cuttings in the house
October 2013: police find tons of euros in drug money
In an investigation into a group involved in international drug trafficking, the police have arrested four suspects. It concerns three German men, who live in the Netherlands, and a Dutchman. Two German suspects (33 and 34 years old) come from Groningen. The other German (32 years old) comes from Hardenberg. The 25-year-old Dutchman comes from Arnhem. During searches of their homes, several hundred thousand euros in cash, valuables, drugs, vehicles and a vessel were seized. People from Defense were also present at the action. The suspects have been detained and the German suspects will be handed over to the German authorities.
October 2013: Dutchman caught in major drug bust in Ecuador
Fifteen drug criminals, including a Dutchman, were arrested during a major police operation in Ecuador. The other suspects are eight Colombians and six Ecuadorians. All suspects are said to have ties to the Colombian drug cartel Los Urabeños.
October 2013: Dutch girls caught with drugs in Morocco
Six Dutch girls were caught in Morocco with suitcases filled with 58 kilos of soft drugs.
October 2013: ten arrests in connection with large-scale drug smuggling
During an investigation into organized crime in Brabant and Limburg, the Public Prosecution Service and police units of the National Criminal Investigation Department and Limburg police arrested a total of ten suspects. The suspects are said to have contacts in Belgium who would guide drugs and raw materials for ecstasy from Pakistan, South America and China through customs and other port authorities in Antwerp. This concerns cocaine, hashish and raw materials for the production of XTC. At the request of the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, a 68-year-old main suspect has been arrested on Bonaire.
October 2013: arrests of criminal organization
In an investigation into a criminal organization that is allegedly involved in large-scale (international) drug trafficking and extortion, the police raided ten addresses. Nine suspects have been arrested who are allegedly involved in the Tilburg criminal organization. Seven arrests took place in Tilburg, one in Waalwijk and one in Antwerp. This concerns eight men and one woman between the ages of 22 and 47. In four cases an arrest team was used. The 43-year-old suspect who was arrested in Antwerp is also suspected of the shooting in Tilburg in 2012. A 44-year-old man was seriously injured. This Antwerp resident, a man of Turkish descent, is said to be known to the law. He would not shy away from using violence. The police suspect the group of criminals of large-scale (international) drug trafficking, extortion, ripping deals and possession of firearms.
Firearms and cars were seized during the raids at ten locations.
September 2013: Dutchman caught with 8,000 pills in Mallorca
The Spanish National Police have seized 8,000 ecstasy pills and 800 grams of raw material for making LSD in Mallorca. Two people have been arrested: a Spaniard and a Dutchman aged 37. For two months now, the police have been investigating the sale of ecstasy pills in the entertainment center of Palma de Mallorca. The Dutchman is suspected of having imported the pills from the Netherlands to Spain.
September 2013: Amsterdammer caught with 28 kilos of hashish in Almeria (Spain)
A 45-year-old man from Amsterdam has been arrested in the port of the southern Spanish city of Almería. He had driven his car off the ferry that had just arrived from the Moroccan city of Nador. The drug dogs attacked the man’s van. He had installed a false bottom in the cargo space of his van in which 285 packages of hashish weighing 28 kilos were found. The man has been identified by the Civil Guard as AB with Dutch nationality.
September 2013: Spanish police roll up cannabis plantations and arrest 6 Dutch people
The Spanish National Police have dismantled six cannabis plantations in the area of Málaga and six Dutch people have been arrested. The approximately 3,400 plants were located in three homes in Coín and Alhaurín. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the cannabis, which was grown in well-equipped plantations, was intended for export to the Netherlands.
August 2013: Dutchman convicted in France for drug smuggling
The French court has sentenced a Dutchman to three years in prison for smuggling ten kilos of cocaine from Sint Maarten to France. The man was arrested at the airport in Paris
August 2013: Dutchman arrested for drug smuggling by Spanish police
A Dutch national has been arrested by the Guardia Civil in the Spanish enclave of Melilla, on the African mainland near Morocco. He tried to take the boat to Málaga at night from Puerto de Melilla with 35 kilos of hashish in his car. The man traveled in a car with a Dutch license plate.
August 2013: Major seizure of heroin and arrest of 2 Dutch people
The police have seized 202 kilos of heroin in the port of Rotterdam. That is a very large quantity, usually heroin seizures are smaller. In the investigation into the import of the consignment, five suspects have been arrested in recent days, including 2 Dutchmen from Amsterdam.
August 2013: 340 kilos of hash in camper, resident arrested
The police found 340 kilos of hashish and an alarm pistol in a camper behind a house in Meerlo, Limburg. The hundreds of kilos of hashish were found in a camper that was in a large tent. The 51-year-old resident gave the officers permission to check his property. The resident has been arrested.
August 2013: Dutchman arrested in Brazil for drug smuggling
The federal police in the Brazilian state of Ceará have arrested a 51-year-old man at the request of Dutch justice. He was identified as a fugitive on the Interpol list. The man was wanted in connection with drug trafficking. In particular, he is suspected of trafficking in chemical raw materials for the production of synthetic drugs. In the Netherlands, these offenses carry a prison sentence of 12 years! The man is extradited to the Netherlands.
August 2013: another Dutchman arrested for involvement in cannabis plantations
The Guardia Civil has dismantled several cannabis plantations near Alicante with a total of 1060 plants. The raids took place in the villages of Xixona and Benitatxell. Six people have been arrested, including a Dutchman.
August 2013: large quantity of raw materials for XTC intercepted
The police have arrested a 52-year-old suspect in the municipality of Nieuwkoop for involvement in the production of XTC. The man probably tried to import a container full of raw materials for XTC. This concerns 12,000 liters of Safrole, enough for millions of XTC pills.
August 2013: Dutchman caught with cannabis in Hungary
A Dutchman has been arrested in Hungary for trying to smuggle 5 kilos of marijuana to the ‘Sziget’ Festival in Budapest, one of the largest music festivals in Europe. The weed is hidden in ten packages in a speaker. The drugs are said to have a street value of 10 million forints (more than 33,000 euros). Hungary has about the strictest drug policy in the European Union. Possession of large quantities of soft or hard drugs carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
July 2013: 22 kilos of cocaine intercepted at Schiphol
Customs at Schiphol found 22 kilos of cocaine in the luggage of a 30-year-old Ecuadorian man. The man has been arrested, together with a 55-year-old man from Amsterdam and a 41-year-old man from Hoofddorp, both of whom work for a company at the airport. The Royal Military Police found the drugs in the checked luggage of the man from Ecuador. The Amsterdammer and the Hoofddorper are suspected of receiving the drugs. They are in custody for drug smuggling. The packages have been seized.
June 2013: Limburg weed on its way to France
Under the leadership of the national public prosecutor’s office, the police in Munstergeleen, Limburg, arrested two suspects in an investigation into large-scale cannabis trafficking and export. It concerns a 58-year-old Briton and a 51-year-old Dutchman. Both men were brought before the examining magistrate at the Maastricht District Court on Friday and remanded in custody for 14 days.
June 2013: 500 kilograms of cocaine in container in Rotterdam port
The Regional Investigation Service of the Rotterdam unit has found a container with approximately 500 kilos of cocaine in the port of Rotterdam during an ongoing investigation. The container arrived at the port of Rotterdam in May 2013, after which it was seized by the police. The cocaine was hidden between a load of limes and came from Brazil. The cocaine, worth approximately 16 million euros, has been seized and destroyed. After extensive investigation, six suspects were arrested in recent weeks. They are suspected of involvement in the import of narcotics. A 57-year-old man from Kesteren, a 65-year-old man from Rhoon, a 28-year-old man without a permanent place of residence and a 67-year-old and a 58-year-old Rotterdam resident are still in custody. A 61-year-old man from ‘s Gravendeel has now been released pending the investigation. He remains a suspect in this case.
June 2013: 50 kilograms of cocaine in a vintage car
A batch of 50 kilos of cocaine was found in a vintage car in a container in the port of Rotterdam. The cocaine, worth almost 2 million euros, was in a special room behind the back seat of the car. The classic car came from Uruguay to Rotterdam in a container. Three men, including a 69-year-old Amsterdam resident, have been arrested in connection with the find. The discovery was made by the Hit And Run Cargo Team (HARC), a partnership between Seaport Police, Customs, FIOD and Public Prosecution Service.
June 2013: 14 arrests in international drug operation
Investigative services from the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France have conducted an international action against drug trafficking and drug tourism. A total of 14 people were arrested in the Netherlands during this action. Most were arrested on the highways near Rotterdam and Dordrecht. During the action, 152 grams of soft drugs, 1,242 grams of hard drugs and 17,260 euros were seized. The checks were mainly on the highways and in and around a number of large cities.
June 2013: Man from Purmerend suspected as the mastermind behind coke smuggling
In an investigation into coke smuggling through Schiphol via Schiphol, the Royal Military Police arrested a 36-year-old man from Purmerend. The man is seen as the organizer and client who had drug couriers flown from South America to the Netherlands with pellets in their bodies.
June 2013: Arrests after importing hundreds of kilos of cocaine
In an international investigation into the large-scale import of cocaine, the police arrested seven men on behalf of the National Public Prosecutor’s Office. According to the Public Prosecution Service, which assumes a criminal organization, this group is also involved in the shooting in Limburg, Belgium. In January 2013, a truck was stuck there and shot with Kalashnikovs. The suspects were arrested in Rotterdam, Schiedam, The Hague, Leiden, Tilburg and Oijen. The police came across a shipment of bananas that was on its way to the Netherlands via the port of Antwerp. An inspection of the container discovered approximately 285 kilos of cocaine. The suspects are linked to several drug transports from Columbia to the Netherlands in the past period.
June 2013: A KLM steward was arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling
A KLM steward was arrested in Singapore while at work on suspicion of drug smuggling. This is punishable by death in the Asian country. The man was arrested in a police raid in his hotel room in Singapore after a KLM flight. He allegedly deals in hard drugs.
May 2013: Dutch cannabis growers caught in Spain
A group of criminals was arrested in the south of Spain who were smuggling drugs to and from the Netherlands. A total of twenty people were arrested, mainly Dutch. The group obtained raw materials to grow cannabis in the Netherlands and set up the nurseries in Spain. The harvest was smuggled to the Netherlands.
April 2013: Dutchman arrested with drugs in Curacao
A Dutchman has been arrested in Curaçao in whose house tens of kilos of cocaine and a firearm were found.
April 2013: Dutchman with kilo of buns arrested in Madrid
Spanish police at Barajas airport in Madrid have detained a Dutchman who had swallowed a kilo of pellets containing cocaine. 46-year-old Marcel F. had arrived in Madrid on a flight from Santo Domingo. He used the service that helps disabled people get off the plane in a wheelchair. According to police, the man simulated disability and breathing problems.
April 2013: Brazilian police arrest Dutchman with 2 kilos of coke
A 31-year-old Dutch man was arrested at the airport of the Brazilian city of Fortaleza. He had hidden two kilos of cocaine among food items in his luggage. The man was about to take a flight to Amsterdam. He has been taken into custody and will be arraigned as a suspect in international drug trafficking.
April 2013: Dutch ‘sweet tooth’ is exposed
The police have arrested a Dutchman at the airport in Brussels for trying to smuggle cocaine. He had hidden the drugs in almost five kilos of chocolates. The man had left Paramaribo and flown to Brussels via the Brazilian cities of Belem and Sao Paolo and Madrid.
April 2013: Spanish police dismantled cannabis plantation
Spanish police have dismantled and destroyed a cannabis plantation with 638 plants in a detached house in Xàbia. Three people have been arrested, including two Dutch people. Furthermore, 1.8 kilos of harvested cannabis was seized.
April 2013: ‘Belgian’ Dutchman arrested in Spain
The police of the seaside resort of Fuengirola have managed to arrest the Belgian Dutchman RA, wanted in Belgium, during a police action against drug trafficking in the seaside resort. RA is a Belgian nationalized as a Dutch citizen. He was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison, partly because of the drug trade between Belgium and Spain, but managed to escape the police.
April 2013: Dutch arrested for drug smuggling to England
450 kilos of cannabis were seized in a Dutch truck in the port of Harwich. The weed was hidden in a truck that was driven onto the ferry in Hoek van Holland. Two Dutch people, aged 72 and 48, have been arrested.
April 2013: Italian police arrest Dutch truck driver
Italian police have intercepted a refrigerated truck from the Netherlands with 1,000 kilos of hashish on board. The cargo had a value of 15 million euros. The Dutch driver has been arrested.
March 2013: Dutchman catches the net
Customs have made a remarkable discovery at Schiphol. A 55-year-old man from Zaandam was arrested because he had bags of salty fish, probably containing cocaine, in his luggage. The Dutchman came from Suriname.
February 2013: Three Dutch people arrested with cocaine in Prague
Three Dutch nationals were arrested at Prague airport with more than 31 kilos of cocaine in their luggage. The detainees are two men and a woman. They arrived on a plane from Punta Cana, the tourist airport in the Dominican Republic.
February 2013: Dutchman caught with 300 kilograms of coke in Guyana
In Guyana, anti-drug police have seized more than 300 kilos of cocaine intended for transport to the Netherlands. A Dutchman and five Guyanese were arrested at the sawmill company Soesdyke Sawmill, owned by Guyana Forest Products Inc. which is in the name of the Dutchman William Jenezon. At least 312 kilos of cocaine were hidden between the wood.
February 2013: Three men arrested with 25 kilos of cocaine in Ridderkerk
The police have arrested three suspects in Ridderkerk for smuggling 25 kilos of cocaine from Belgium. The trio rode in two cars that were stopped by police. Two sports bags containing packages of cocaine were found in one of the cars. The drugs have a wholesale value of approximately 875,000 euros.
February 2013: Dutch father and son arrested in Spain
A Dutch father and his son were arrested by Spanish police in the coastal city of Almería in an action against an international drug network. 2,600 hashish was seized divided into 88 packages that were loaded into a German truck at the time of arrest.
February 2013: Dominican-Dutch drug line busted
Police in the Dominican Republic have busted a drug gang that sent smugglers with balls of cocaine to the Netherlands. Of the five arrested suspects, one lives in the Netherlands. The gang tried to recruit smugglers to transport the drugs abroad. One of the suspects was about to travel to the Netherlands with 111 cocaine pellets, weighing a total of 1.1 kilos. In addition to the drugs, a pistol was also seized.
February 2013: 6.5 years in prison demanded against suspect of importing coke via the port of Rotterdam
The Public Prosecution Service in Rotterdam has demanded up to 6.5 years in prison against eight suspects for the import of cocaine via the port in Rotterdam. One of the suspects was an employee of the port of Rotterdam. The investigation into the suspects started in June 2012 after officers found twenty kilos of coke and weapons during a check in Tholenstraat in Rotterdam-Charlois.
January 2013: Another Dutchman caught with khat in Germany
Police in Germany have arrested a 49-year-old Dutch man who was driving a truck loaded with the narcotic khat. The driver said he was transporting fruit, but after checking it turned out that the sealed boxes contained khat. The driver had also used drugs himself.
January 2013: Drug grandma strikes again
A 62-year-old drug courier of Dutch descent has to be behind bars in Belgium again. The court in Bruges sentenced the drug grandma to 37 months in prison for possessing 3 kilograms of cannabis. The woman, who now lives in Ostend, already has a rich criminal history as a drug courier. Debt drives the woman to smuggle drugs.
January 2013: Dutch arrested in connection with investigation into international drug network
In recent months, the police have arrested four suspects in an investigation into an organization that trafficked internationally in drugs. These are two 49-year-old Dutch women, a 43-year-old Belgian and a 33-year-old man without a permanent place of residence.
January 2013: Dutchman arrested with cannabis plantation in Spain
Spanish police have dismantled a cannabis plantation with 560 plants in Tarragona, near Barcelona, that was run by two Dutchmen.
read more
- Dutch arrested for drug smuggling in 2010
- Dutch arrested for drug smuggling in 2011
- Creativity in drug trafficking