'Mexican Crystal Meth Cooks No Longer Needed In The Netherlands' By Sol Prendido 10/01/2023 01:38:00 PM 42 comments "Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat
The presence of Mexican crystal meth cooks in the Netherlands is negligible after the method of producing the hard drug became known and they are no longer needed. This is according to a book by Flemish journalist Arthur Debruyne.
Arthur Debruyne states this, following the release of his book "The Mexican Method, The Invisible Advance of Crystal Meth in The Rural Areas" (Ambo Anthos, 2023). Debruyne wrote the book about the work of these cooks, partly in response to the arrest of several Mexican meth cooks in recent years.
Breaking bad
Debruyne became interested in the cooks through the series "Breaking Bad," he told NPO Radio 1 on the news program Nieuwsweekend. This gave him the idea that the Mexicans in the series were mainly viewed "through the lens of fiction, with all kinds of cliches. As a result, he became curious about the reality behind it.
Debruyne: 'In that reality, the cooks often work without protective masks, causing them to hallucinate, for example. They also always play second fiddle; they were brought here by the Dutch, because they understand how to produce the meth as efficiently as possible. The Dutch then provide the locations, the raw materials, the sites and the hardware.'
Lots of money
The journalist also spoke with cooks himself, at the prison for foreign inmates in Ter Apel. 'Diego and Victor were two normal men, raised in the drug-producing state of Durango in Mexico. Men with families, who saw the Netherlands as an opportunity to make a lot of money quickly, coming from a country where drug production is tolerated. And where even government figures benefit. This is in fact disguised state aid. In Mexico the penalties are harsh. Whereas in the Netherlands they were relatively low.'
But the cooks are now no longer needed. Debruyne: 'The producers in the Netherlands have figured out their trick for maximum profits by now. However, Mexican nationals did their best to keep it a secret.'
The book also includes Crimesite's revelation, about the earlier conviction of one of the cooks in the United States, as a result of which justice has now demanded a maximum prison sentence against him.
Meth is lucrative as a secondary trade but MDMA (XTC) is still king here.
To understand what lies behind the production of an ecstasy pill, let's go back to the beginning. Freek: “The raw material for an ecstasy pill comes from China. This usually comes to the Netherlands in bulk packaging via sea freight or air freight, of course well hidden or disguised as something else. From a storage location they then take the raw material to a drug laboratory, where the raw material is converted into the end product MDMA. Such a laboratory is often set up in a shed or shed, located in a rural area. Here, the strong aniseed smell that arises during the production process is not easily noticed.
Research shows that on average one in five farmers in Brabant has been approached by drug criminals to rent out an empty barn or stable. They mainly visit farmers who are experiencing vacancies or financial problems, because they desperately need the money and are expected to agree more quickly. Fortunately, most farmers say no.
THURSDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2023 - 19:40 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.
What do you think TKJ? 17 years is a stiff sentence for drugtrafficking and leading a criminal organization.
Piet S. was the leader of the criminal drug organization, the court ruled. This organization set up drug lines around the world, from Russia and Australia to England and Paraguay. The court convicts Piet S. of years of drug trafficking: 'He imported, among other things, 4,600 kilos of cocaine from South America and 11,000 kilos of hashish from Morocco to the Netherlands.'
His son Freddy S. was also a member of the organization. Simon S. was the leader of a subgroup within the organization that was mainly concerned with the production of amphetamine and methamphetamine and the import of thousands of kilos of raw materials for these.
Jan van de V. and Hassan K. are also convicted of trafficking in hundreds of kilos of cocaine, heroin and ecstasy pills and the production of methamphetamine. Other members have also been convicted for their role in the organization. The organization used corrupt customs officials and bribed port employees, the court said in a message about the ruling.
Lawyer Moszkowicz suspect in Belgian drug investigation October 13, 2023
Utrecht lawyer Yehudi Moszkowicz was arrested on September 29 in the detention center in Beveren (Belgium) when he visited his client Flor B. (37). He was released after questioning and arraignment before the investigating judge. Moszkowicz is suspected of membership of a criminal organization and believes he has been tapped in prison.
Bolle Jos The Belgian newspaper De Standaard wrote the message based on sources, and received confirmation from the Public Prosecution Service in Belgium.
The investigating judge released Moszkowicz under conditions. Among other things, he is not allowed to maintain contact with Belgian lawyers who play a role in the investigation into his client Flor B.. B. was extradited from Switzerland last year. He is suspected of large-scale cocaine trafficking in several countries, including together with his friend “Bolle Jos” Leijdekkers, who is a fugitive from Dutch justice.
B.'s Belgian lawyer is Hans Rieder and in the Netherlands this is Yehudi Moszkowicz. Moszkowicz is also a lawyer for suspects in Dutch investigations related to the investigation into Flor B..
No contact Moszkowicz is also not allowed to have contact with suspects in B.'s circle. The Belgian public prosecutor's office suspects Moszkowicz of having provided services to B. that went beyond a normal lawyer-client relationship. It is not clear what exactly is meant. This may involve sharing information.
Vivian LP Flor B. comes from Lommel (B) and came to Eindhoven a lot. According to various sources, the investigation into B. in Belgium also includes the name of Vivian LP , who was recently arrested in Eindhoven. According to the police, he is said to be related to Flor B. Sources tell Crimesite that LP had a security company and regularly acted as B.'s driver.
Flor B. is considered in Belgium to be one of the largest cocaine traffickers in the Low Countries. He has been in Beveren prison since October 2022, after being extradited to Belgium from Switzerland. He is a suspect in the major investigation surrounding Kriva Rochem, an Antwerp company specialized in the desalination of seawater. At least 3.2 tons of cocaine are said to have been imported through that company.
Not prosecuted In the past, lawyers in Belgium have been charged by the investigating judge with membership of a criminal organization and subsequently not prosecuted in court.
In the Netherlands, a case is pending in court against (ex) lawyer Inez Weski, who is suspected of membership of the criminal organization of her former client Ridouan Taghi.
What do you think TKJ? 17 years is a stiff sentence for drugtrafficking and leading a criminal organization.
Piet S. was the leader of the criminal drug organization, the court ruled. This organization set up drug lines around the world, from Russia and Australia to England and Paraguay. The court convicts Piet S. of years of drug trafficking: 'He imported, among other things, 4,600 kilos of cocaine from South America and 11,000 kilos of hashish from Morocco to the Netherlands.'
His son Freddy S. was also a member of the organization. Simon S. was the leader of a subgroup within the organization that was mainly concerned with the production of amphetamine and methamphetamine and the import of thousands of kilos of raw materials for these.
Jan van de V. and Hassan K. are also convicted of trafficking in hundreds of kilos of cocaine, heroin and ecstasy pills and the production of methamphetamine. Other members have also been convicted for their role in the organization. The organization used corrupt customs officials and bribed port employees, the court said in a message about the ruling.
17 years is an extremely tough sentence. He will be around 82 years old if he has to serve the entire sentence. There's a chance he will die in prison and to be honest I don't think he deserves that. The court makes him out to be some violent lunatic due to a heated wiretap conversation when he actually has the reputation of being low-key and professional. There are sexual offenders, violent psychopaths and dangerous nutjobs getting off with a much lighter sentence.
The same can be said of Greg Remmers. those guys are old school penoze lol. In 2021 Remmers has been sentenced in absentia in Antwerp to four years in prison for extortion from a diamond dealer.
'Two injured in shooting between Belgian and Dutch criminals in Marbella' October 30, 2023 \ Two people were injured in a shooting between two rival drug gangs in Marbella, southern Spain, on Saturday afternoon. According to the Spanish national police, this is a confrontation between Belgian and Dutch drug criminals. Spanish media write this.
Gunshot wounds At least three armed and masked men shot at members of a rival group around 12.45 in Guadalmina Alta, one of Marbella's luxury areas. Two men were injured. One of them was reportedly hit in the hand. The other reportedly had gunshot wounds to his leg, pelvis and arm. The victims have been taken to hospital, but are out of danger.
According to the Spanish national police, it is a confrontation between rival Belgian and Dutch drug criminals. It is still unclear whether the victims come from the Netherlands or Belgium.
Major panic The shooters are said to have fled in a Citroën. The national police are investigating the background to the shooting, which caused great panic among passers-by. No one has been arrested yet.
The outbreak of violence took place near the Guadalmina shopping center, located next to the A-7 highway.
Higher sentences for Martien R. family at court November 9, 2023
In the appeal in the case against the family of Martien R., higher sentences were handed down on Thursday than in the first instance. Martien R.'s own sentence was upheld.
Punishment Martien R. was sentenced by the court to 16 years in prison in the Brabant case in 2021. The court upheld that sentence on appeal. Also before the court, Martien R. is the 'undisputed leader of a criminal organization, with a strong family character, aimed at the large-scale trade in drugs and weapons'. He is again sentenced to 16 years in prison. The highest possible punishment for this type of crime.
Heavier The other suspects received heavier sentences in almost all cases. For example, son Anton R. and son-in-law Bart H. were sentenced to 10 years in prison, where the court imposed an additional 8 years.
Arnold M., who is seen by the judiciary as the leader's closest aide, disappears behind bars for 12 years. The court handed him a sentence of 10 years.
Toon R., Martien's cousin who managed to stay out of the hands of justice the longest, was sentenced to 10 years and 8 months in accordance with the requirement.
Underground During a large-scale raid in November 2019, 115 kilos of weed, 54 kilos of amphetamine (speed), 280,000 ecstasy pills, 180 kilos of MDMA crystals and 3.7 kilos of crystal meth were found in underground spaces behind the family's camp. The group is also said to be responsible for two large cocaine transports of 1,561 and 315 kilos respectively to the port of Antwerp.
During the case, the police confronted the suspects with wiretapped conversations and camera images. Microphones and small cameras had been installed in the shed, which the family considered safe territory. Eavesdropping equipment was also hidden in Martien R.'s car.
Martien R. previously stopped his defense in court because he felt that the judges did not want to investigate important facts in the case.
Demand for 26 years in prison for involvement in the murder of lawyer Wiersum November 14, 2023
The Public Prosecution Service demanded 26 years in prison on Tuesday against a cousin of Ridouan Taghi for involvement in the murder of lawyer Derk Wiersum. He is said to have helped prepare the murder.
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) is demanding a prison sentence of 26 years and 8 months against Anouar T., a cousin of Ridouan Taghi, for his role in preparing the attack on lawyer Derk Wiersum. NOS reported this on Tuesday afternoon.
Prison sentences ranging from 3 to 18 years have been demanded against six other suspects.
Dutch crime boss Willem Holleeder's conviction must be upheld, Advocate General says The conviction of Willem Holleeder for instigating five murders should be upheld, according to the Advocate General at the Supreme Court in its advisory opinion issued on Tuesday. The Amsterdam Court of Appeal last year sentenced Holleeder to life imprisonment for orchestrating a series of murder contracts in an appeal verdict.
Holleeder, who has always denied the charges, brought the case to the Supreme Court in cassation. The Advocate General (AG) also believes the imposed sentence should stand.
The court ruled that Holleeder (65) was the mastermind behind the assassinations of Cor van Hout and Robert ter Haak (2003), Willem Endstra (2004), Kees Houtman (2005), John Mieremet (2005), and Thomas van der Bijl (2006). He was also behind a failed assassination attempt on Mieremet in 2002.
In 2019, the court already concluded that Holleeder was guilty of instigating the murders and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Key evidence against Holleeder was provided by his sisters Astrid and Sonja and his ex-girlfriend Sandra den Hartog. The women gave extensive and detailed testimonies. Fred R. and Peter la S. also testified against Holleeder. Both were key witnesses in the so-called Passage process, which partly concerned the same murders. Holleeder's “partner in crime” Dino Soerel was also sentenced to life imprisonment in this trial.
In the cassation proceedings, Holleeder's lawyers raised objections to the court's decision on the legality of the key witness deals and the reliability of the testimonies from various witnesses. They also protested against the imposition of the life sentence.
The AG believes that the Supreme Court has already evaluated the legality of the key witness deals in the Passage process. The court did not deviate from this in the Holleeder case. The court thoroughly examined the reliability of the testimonies, including those from the sisters, and explored whether others might have been responsible for the murders. According to the AG, this investigation "did not provide any indications that someone other than the defendant was behind the murders."
The advice of the Advocate General is not binding. The Supreme Court is expected to make its decision on January 9. No further appeal is possible. If the court reaches the same conclusions as the Advocate General, the conviction is final.
Costa case: 60 suspects appear in court November 11, 2023
The judge in Tongeren (B) decided on Friday that 60 suspects in the "Costa" drug case will be tried by the criminal court. Two lawyers and seven others have not been prosecuted. Maasmechelaar Lucio Aquino, ex-gendarmerie Willy Van Mechelen, the Dutchman “Bolle Jos” Leijdekkers and Geert Frisson, chairman of motorcycle club Bandidos, must answer for large transports of cocaine.
25 tons of cocaine Belgian justice states that the suspects smuggled a total of about 25 tons of cocaine into Belgium.
The first case dates back to 2019, when 2,800 kilos of cocaine were discovered in a container filled with tropical wood from Costa Rica. This was followed by searches, including at Lucio Aquino's.
Sky ECC Because the police managed to crack the SKY-ECC encryption service, detectives were able to read how former National Guard Willy Van Mechelen maintained contacts with criminal organizations such as the Aquino clan and the group around Geert Frisson and “Bolle Jos”.
In October 2021, there were further searches in Belgian Limburg and in the Netherlands and Spain.
Basketball player The Dutchman “Bolle Jos” is on the run. He is held responsible for the import of 1,340 kilos of cocaine, together with Nathan Steveniers, the son of the Belgian basketball player Willy Steveniers. Jos Leijdekkers is suspected in the Netherlands of ordering murder and large-scale import of cocaine.
Amsterdam suspects acquitted of murder of Spanish nightclub owner November 29, 2023
Two Amsterdam residents have been acquitted in Spain in a case in which they were suspected of the liquidation of a nightclub owner. Badr K. and Omar C. were in pre-trial detention for years. This was reported by the newspaper Het Parool.
Shot The criminal Spanish nightclub owner Abdelhadi Yaqout was shot in the head by two men wearing hoods during the night of January 20 to 21, 2019. This happened when he arrived in his Bentley at his home in the Marbella area.
Suspicious During the investigation, Badr K. (33) and Omar C. (23) were suspected of this. Initially, Jermaine B. (40), also known as 'King Kong', was also accused. Badr K. and Omar C. were in pre-trial detention in Spain for years.
Assassination squad The cooperating investigative services initially saw the Amsterdam suspects as part of 'a murder squad' that was involved in more underworld violence, writes Het Parool. But the Spanish criminal case ultimately focused only on Yaqout's liquidation, membership of a criminal organization and firearms possession.
The mobile phones of Jermaine B., Badr K. and Omar C. were said to have been registered in the vicinity of the murder scene during the liquidation of Abdelhadi 'Marco' Yaqout.
Yaqout was seen as a money launderer for the infamous Irish Kinahan clan and is also said to have been deeply involved in the international drug trade.
Suspicions In the Netherlands, Badr K. and Omar C. were linked to the suspicions surrounding the murder of lawyer Derk Wiersum, the counsel for key witnesses Nabil B. in the Marengo case against Ridouan Taghi and his co-suspects. After his death, Badr K. appeared to have previously searched the name of the counselor on the internet.
Badr K. was sentenced this year to 25 years for the liquidation of Shaquille Goedhart in 2019. An appeal is pending in that case. K. was acquitted of complicity in the attempted liquidation of Spy City employee Sander de L. in 2018.
Omar C. is also suspected of violence in the Netherlands, but the status of the investigations into it was still unclear on Tuesday evening, according to Het Parool. Badr K. was seen as an accomplice of this Omar C.
Ridouan Taghi's lawyers want the court to conduct more investigations into the injuries their client suffered from December 16, 2019, after he was arrested in Dubai.
According to Taghi's lawyer Michael Ruperti, Dubai informed the Netherlands on October 2, 2023 that Ridouan Taghi was handed over to the Netherlands without injuries after his arrest. According to Ruperti, these so-called execution documents were provided to Taghi's defense a few days ago by the Public Prosecution Service.
In an extensive statement to Een Today, Taghi announced in 2020 that he was severely abused for days by officers from Dubai and Morocco after his arrest. “I was held in a room with freezing cold and treated with electroshock,” wrote Taghi, who heard a life sentence demanded against him in the Marengo trial
According to Taghi, a photo that Dubai released after his arrest had been edited so that injuries were not visible. Photos taken after Taghi's arrival by a doctor from the Dutch Forensic Institute show injuries to Taghi's face.
Ex-boxer shot in Berlin, shooter possibly with Dutch connection December 11, 2023
A former professional boxer was shot in Berlin on the night from Sunday to Monday. According to German media , the perpetrator or perpetrators escaped in a car with a Dutch license plate. The victim has been identified as Ibrahim A. (29), he was seriously injured, but is now out of danger.
The shooting happened at 3:40 am in the central Charlottenburg district on Lietzenburger Strasse. A. was walking on the street and was hit from a moving car. The small car was dark colored and reportedly had a Dutch license plate.
It is said that A. at least one bullet hit him in the neck. Three shell casings were recovered from the crime scene.
Guests at a nearby hotel provided first aid and alerted emergency services. Ibrahim A. was transported to a hospital and had to undergo emergency surgery.
The police searched extensively for the perpetrators and the car, but they were not found.
Clans Ibrahim A. is said to live on Lietzenburger Strasse, close to Kurfürstendamm.
He boxed his last professional fight in 2020. He is said to have contacts in the Berlin criminal environment of clans , groups of Turkish, Kurdish or Lebanese origin.
Ridouan Taghi's lawyers have resigned from the defense. They tell the Algemeen Dagblad and the ANP that 'continuing is of no use'. In June, Michael Ruperti, Arthur van der Biezen and Sjoerd van Berge Henegouwen took over the case from lawyer Inez Weski, who was suspected of membership of Taghi's criminal organization.
Unwilling The lawyers argue that Taghi is not granted an adequate defense by the court because the court is always unwilling when they make requests.
Their first request was to postpone the case for nine months, after all, they had to read up. In the meantime, the case against Taghi was almost complete, after a demand for a life sentence, Weski had already given her last response to the Public Prosecution Service in the rejoinder.
The court rejected the request for that postponement, but the ruling scheduled for October was moved to February. The lawyers felt that this was insufficient and a violation of the right to a fair trial.
The court also did not want to split Taghi's case from that of the other suspects in the Marengo trial.
Sil A. After ex-commander Sil A. stated in his case that he had attended a meeting a few years ago where a public prosecutor allegedly asked about the possibilities of liquidating Taghi, the lawyers wanted to hear witnesses about this.
The court saw 'no indications' that there was a plan to kidnap or kill Taghi. Requests for witnesses about this were rejected. This also applied to new data that, according to the lawyers, could indicate that Taghi had been mistreated by Dutch officials during his transport from Dubai to the Netherlands.
A request for recusal from Taghi's lawyers was rejected in early November .
According to lawyer Ruperti, Taghi has stated that he no longer wants another lawyer in this final phase of the court process.
The crime that shocked the Netherlands: When the Heineken boss was kidnapped Forty years ago one of the Netherlands’ wealthiest men was snatched by the future godfathers of the Dutch underworld
Four men from The Hague heard prison sentences handed down against them on Thursday. Their leader Gerrit de G. was sentenced in absentia to eleven years in prison. In three years they had a turnover of 360 million euros in the drug trade.
Start The court in The Hague has sentenced four men from The Hague to prison terms and community service for large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering.
The investigation started with hacking the PGP communications between the suspects. This showed that in an organizational context they were involved in large-scale trafficking in cocaine, preparations for the import of cocaine and money laundering by siphoning off the proceeds through gold trading.
Affairs Gerrit de G. (55) was extensively involved in preparatory actions to import cocaine from South America via Spain and Belgium to the Netherlands. Together with others he traded the drugs in The Hague. This made large sums of cash available to the organization, according to the justice department, with which a gold trade was subsequently set up. (scrap) gold has been bought up on a large scale, melted down and transported and traded abroad.
Leader The court ruled that G. worked with others in a criminal partnership, in which each member had his own task. Gerrit de G. is seen as the leader who was involved in strategic decisions. He was not present at the hearings because he is a fugitive and has been arrested internationally. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Shed Johan de G. (29) melted purchased (demolition) gold into large gold bars in a shed at the camp. He also counted the enormous laundered amounts of money that were transported to the camp in 'big bags', the AD notes.
This second suspect was extensively involved in dealing with cash as proceeds from the sale of cocaine and in buying and melting gold. This gold was intended for abroad. This suspect, who has been in custody since June 2022, has been sentenced to 6 years in prison.
Guilty The third suspect is also guilty of money laundering. Carlo de G. junior, in his twenties, is guilty of participating in the criminal organization and money laundering. He took money a number of times and also used cars and valuable furniture, even though he knew that these were all proceeds of crime. He was sentenced to three years in prison, of which 1 year was conditional. The court takes his young age into account.
Jan R. (74) transported sums of money between five thousand euros and 1.3 million euros in the secret compartment of his car. He also had stored weapons and ammunition in his caravan, which he inherited. According to the judge, he is also guilty of money laundering. He was not part of the criminal organization and is also elderly. He has already served his prison sentence.
Dizzying The men conducted their business in a small caravan camp on the outskirts of The Hague, writes the AD. They earned staggering amounts of money from it. There is talk of a turnover of 360 million euros in just nine months. The family was involved in that trade for at least three years, the court stated.
BODY BLOW | Bodyguard of Kinahan-linked Balkan mob boss arrested in Sarajevo Gacanin, described as one of the world’s most prolific drug dealers by US authorities, was recently sentenced to seven years by a Dutch court for drugs offences
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