A man from Berghem (49) and a man from Veghel (57) have to go to prison for 7.5 and 6 years for smuggling more than 1200 kilos of heroin to the Netherlands. They had hidden the drugs in cans of tomato paste. Because the trial took too long, the men receive a ‘penalty discount’ of 25 percent.
The Public Prosecution Service demanded prison sentences of 11.5 and 8.5 years against the men last month. They would be responsible for the transport of more than 3600 kilos of heroin. After the discovery, there was talk of the largest batch of heroin ever intercepted in our country.
According to the court in Roermond, it can only be proven that the two had to do with drugs that were found in 2014. They have been acquitted of other transports and preparatory acts. The men also do not have to pay the demanded fines of 60,000 euros and 40,000 euros from the judge.
Canned brown substance
The drugs were discovered in two trucks on January 23, 2014, during a check in Venlo. Customs had launched an investigation after one of the drivers of the trucks reported that he did not trust the matter. He had never before transported tomato paste from Iran to our country in his 25-year career.
In two trucks there were sixty boxes containing several cans of tomato paste. With a scanning device from Customs, ‘deviating images’ could be seen with the boxes. When Customs opened a can of tomato paste, the employees saw a ‘brown substance with a chemical smell’. One can contained about 850 grams of heroin.
Case set on fire
The man from Berghem was also convicted of provoking arson in 2014 in a restaurant on Dommelstraat in Eindhoven. That fire started six days after he took out insurance for this case. The fire was set to be able to pay an outstanding rent of the restaurant with insurance money.
The man from Veghel is still convicted of involvement in a hemp nursery of 424 plants and the theft of electricity for that nursery.
Three other suspects
The trial against three other suspects in this case was already in November. At that time, 2.5 years in prison were demanded against men aged 40 and 41 from Veldhoven and Eindhoven. A woman from Veghel (56) should receive a community service order of 120 hours and a fine of 10,000 euros.
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Heroin in the tomato paste: years of imprisonment demanded against suspects
Fire restaurant Sinema Dommelstraat Eindhoven, no injuries