Drug lab in Neerkant: up to twelve years in prison and a fine of 80,000 euros

The court in Den Bosch considered this case on Monday. Prison sentences of two, six, eight and ten years and fines of up to 60 grand were demanded against the four others. The lowest sentence should be imposed on the 56-year-old owner of the business where the drug activity was discovered. The other suspects come from Helmond, Eindhoven and Nijmegen.

A number of the men who appeared in court on Monday would also have had something to do with a drug lab in Someren.

Drug waste discharged
Not only was an amphetamine lab found at the Neerkant location, thousands of liters of drug waste were also found to have been discharged. In October, the province announced that it will allocate extra money to clean up the contaminated soil. It is still unclear how much it will cost to clean things up.

The lab in Neerkant also made the news in October during a huge police action. A number of the nine people who were arrested at the time are associated with the drug lab in Neerkant, among other things.

In control
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the men aged 40 and 57 from Deurne were in control at the drug lab in Neerkant. Both were free, but they must, if it is up to the judiciary, be locked up as soon as possible. An earlier attempt, late last year, to detain them, failed in court. The OM believes that the two also had a share in the export of crystal meth to Germany.

The 37-year-old from Eindhoven is regarded as a teacher. He should be punished even more, because he has already been convicted of similar offenses and because drugs have actually been produced. The 49-year-old man from Nijmegen should have the same fate. Incidentally, the defense argued in vain earlier in the morning to postpone this case.

The drug lab was heavily secured after the discovery.