The District Court in The Hague sentenced ten men to prison sentences of 9 years, 6 years, 5 years, 3 years, 18 months and 12 months for their involvement in the production of heroin at a nursery in Bergschenhoek.
In the early morning of August 17, 2017, a heroin laboratory was found in the nursery. Here morphine was converted into heroin by using acetic anhydride and sodium carbonate. There was nobody present at that time.
On September 29, 2017, a delivery of acetic anhydride took place that was controlled by the police. Part of it was found on 6 October 2017 in a garage in Bleiswijk. Here everything had been made ready to produce heroin. In the end, 12 suspects were arrested.
Nocturnal heroin production
Camera footage in combination with telephone conversations made clear that during the period from May 2017 to 17 August 2017, heroin was produced in Bergschenhoek during a number of nights. Several people were involved. The work in the nursery during the day, by legal employees, served as a cover for the illegal practices in the evening, night and early morning.
Criminal organization
Nine men, including four brothers and a brother-in-law, were part of a closely knit criminal organization that was involved in the production of heroin. The other man who was convicted was not part of that organization. He was the one who acted with his company as an intermediary for the supply of acetic anhydride to the organization. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment, in accordance with the indictment.
Dozens of kilos of heroin
Hundreds of kilograms of heroin could be produced with the purchased amount of acetic anhydride. According to the court, it is certain that the organization has actually produced dozens of kilos of heroin. The son and ex-partner of the main suspect have been acquitted.
Source: Openbaar Ministerie