Police on Tuesday arrested nine people in a large-scale action at various locations across the country on suspicion of involvement in the extensive import of thousands of kilos of drugs and money laundering. The men are suspected of being members of a criminal organization, the National Unit announced on Saturday.
During the campaign, fourteen homes and five business premises in the regions of The Hague, Rotterdam and Noord-Holland were searched. The police found, among other things, firearms and tasers, a laser engraving machine for making fake container seals, encryption telephones and 125,000 euros in cash.
The police suspect the nine people have worked together over a longer period of time in a sometimes varying composition in order to facilitate the import of drugs and to launder criminal money.
For example, large amounts of money were deposited into company accounts. Suspected employees of these companies then arranged for drivers, forged container seals, and storage to allow the drugs to be imported.
According to the police, the organization involved in the one and a half years of investigation, including the import of 4,750 kilos of cocaine, 1,800 kilos of heroin and 5,296 kilos of hashish.
Police do not rule out more arrests
One of the suspects, a 72-year-old man from Zoetermeer, has since been released. In the case of another suspect, a 63-year-old man from The Hague, Belgium has requested extradition. He awaits the decision of the Public Prosecution Service in Amsterdam in freedom.
The other seven suspects were brought to trial on Friday and placed in custody for fourteen days by the examining magistrate in Amsterdam. The police do not rule out more arrests in the investigation.
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