During a regular patrol flight on December 2 last year, the sailing ship came on the radar of the Coast Guard. It then sailed 55 kilometers west of IJmuiden.
The Coast Guard found two men on board: a 29-year-old from Den Helder and a Dutchman (39) without a permanent place of residence. Under a hatch to the cabin there appeared to be another ten people, all of them adults and of Albanian and Vietnamese descent. The sailing yacht is probably left from the port of Den Oever.
Today, the now 30-year-old suspect Joey M. appeared for the first time during the first preparatory hearing. It became clear that M. confessed that he wanted to transport the refugees, three from Albania and seven from Vietnam, to England.
Danger to life
M. is suspected of human smuggling where his life was in danger. “It concerns the movement of refugees in a boat that was not seaworthy,” said the public prosecutor. The sailing ship would be overloaded and there would not be enough life jackets on board.
Lawyer Johan Mühren did not at all agree with this. “The boat was able to reach the other side, was technically in order and had a professional skipper on board,” he says. The lawyer therefore asks again – the examining magistrate previously rejected this request – to interrogate the refugees, in order to possibly rule out that they were in danger of death. That could result in a reduced sentence.
Provisional release
In addition, the suspect hopes to be able to wait out the case in freedom. His lawyer says that M. lives with his sick father to support him.
Joey M. also emphasizes this when he speaks: “I understand that I was wrong and if I am punished I will accept that and serve it. But until then I would like to go outside to take care of my father and also to be able to experience the last time I have with him.”