The Rotterdam court has handed down sentences of up to four years in prison for involvement in a cocaine lab above a childcare center in Amsterdam-IJburg. Some sentences are considerably lower than the prosecutor’s requirements. He wanted the main suspect to receive a sentence of seven years in prison.
26Koeban
Criminal case 26Koeban of the national public prosecutor’s office revolves around a cocaine lab in Amsterdam-IJburg that was set up above a daycare center. On May 25, 2021, the police raided there.
In a cocaine lab or cocaine laundry, cocaine paste, or cocaine that has been processed into material or liquid, is converted into snortable cocaine powder, after which it is pressed into blocks. In such a lab, highly flammable and sometimes explosive chemicals are used. The lab in IJburg was actually in operation, which posed a danger to local residents and to the children and daycare center staff. The court finds this serious and takes it into account in the sentence.
Roof
Four men were present at the time of the raid. They fled to the roof, but were arrested anyway. They are two South Americans, an Amsterdammer and a man from Albania. More than 16 kilos of cocaine were found and many liters of production equipment were stored elsewhere.
Due to the long duration of the trial, the suspects were released in 2022.
The highest sentence of four years is for a Colombian, but the Public Prosecution Service did not see him as the main suspect. That was Jordi K. from Hagen, who received more than three years in prison instead of seven years. The Public Prosecution Service thought he was the operator of the laundry.
Poland
His lawyer Michel van Stratum had argued against this and argued that there was no evidence that his client felt responsible for the lab and had a guiding role. He did acknowledge that K. apparently helped. The court acquitted K. of operating the lab.
He was convicted of, among other things, participating in the export of nine kilos of cocaine to Poland. Furthermore, his DNA was on a glove found in the lab and he was observed by the police at the apartment, but also at locations where chemicals were stored.
Community service
According to the court, an Amsterdam resident had rented the apartment too lightly for 2,000 euros per month. The Public Prosecution Service had demanded two years in prison against him. The court ruled that the Amsterdam resident could not have known that a coke laundry would be established in the building. He will receive community service.
