The lab on Polderweg in Haule, near Veenhuizen, exploded on May 31, 2022 after a boiler containing hazardous substances exploded. A 53-year-old man from Eindhoven died, his companion from the same city barely survived.
According to the court, amphetamine was produced on a large scale in the lab.
The Eindhove native still suffers from burns and requires several more operations. The judge takes this into account, as well as the fact that his friend died in the explosion.
The sentence is therefore lower than the justice’s demand. Two weeks ago, he asked for a four-year prison sentence, of which eighteen months were conditional.
The court states that the man had been producing synthetic drugs for a long time. “He had an active role,” the judge said. He also cited the social consequences. “Hazardous substances are dumped into the environment and it is associated with serious crime.”
The judge also pointed out the great dangers of a drug lab. “A fire or explosion could occur and toxic substances could be released. The suspect took such risks in an environment where children play every day. The court takes this seriously.”
The police found dozens of jerry cans full of chemicals and synthetic drugs in the shed on Polderweg. There were also machines for making the drugs.
“But I didn’t do that,” the suspect said two weeks ago. He has two weeks to appeal.