Large-scale puppy fraud, cold spring and hornets: this is not to be missed

From large-scale puppy fraud to a smuggling bodyguard. A lot of things happened in the province again this Monday. Here you can read the five stories you must read today.

A couple from Veldhoven is on trial for large-scale puppy fraud. Between 2021 and 2023 they sold chihuahua puppies via Marktplaats, but buyers were disappointed. The dogs were often too young, not vaccinated, without a passport and sometimes even a completely different breed. Nine people filed a report. The police raided the camp at De Wegerd in April 2023 and also found weapons. The public prosecutor demanded a community service of 160 hours for the woman and 140 hours for the man, both partly conditional. They are also not allowed to keep animals for five years. Read the whole story here.

Last weekend, Brabanders enjoyed temperatures of up to 23 degrees, but this week it is a lot colder. The temperature drops to 10 to 12 degrees, while normally for May it should be around 18 degrees. Monday will be changeable with showers and possible thunder. It will remain chilly for the rest of the week with around 14 degrees and a chance of showers. The weekend will be slightly warmer with 17 degrees and spring weather may return next week with temperatures around 20 degrees. Check it out here.

Fewer and fewer young people are choosing instruments such as trumpet, trombone or saxophone. The Brabant Youth Jazz Orchestra has difficulty filling places that used to require auditions. Music teacher Paul Luijkx sees it every day: “When I started I had a complete big band, now I don’t have a single trumpet player at school.” The causes are cutbacks, high costs and a changing mentality among young people. The Breda Jazz Festival therefore focuses on youth with school bands and free instruments. “If we don’t do anything now, it will soon become a real problem to keep orchestras afloat,” warns conductor Daan Bogers. You can read their analysis here.

There is also court news. Serafijn P. (48) from Eindhoven worked as a bodyguard for rapper Lil Kleine, but was secretly active in the drug world under the nickname Teflon. He organized drug transports of cocaine from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador via encrypted SkyECC messages. The police found indications of consignments ranging from 7 to 100 kilos and payments of up to 200,000 euros. A possible connection with Bolle Jos was not proven. After trial agreements, the officer demanded two years in prison, largely conditional, plus a fine of 70,000 euros. P. probably doesn’t have to go back to jail. Read his story here.

Right now you can contribute to the control of the yellow-legged hornet. Queens are now making their first golf ball-sized nests, which are easy to remove. Stan Maessen of the Midden-Brabant bee association calls for people to be alert. “Put a jam jar over it, cut off the nest and put it in the freezer for two days.” This prevents the queen from later building a nest with a thousand hornets. Last year there were five hundred nests in Central Brabant, this year two thousand are expected. The hornet causes great damage to bees, wild insects and fruit crops. Read her story here.