Colombians get up to five years in prison for working in meth lab

The court in Den Bosch has convicted three Colombians for producing methamphetamine in a large drug lab in Arnhem. A 28-year-old man and a 39-year-old man are both sentenced to four years in prison. A 35-year-old suspect is sentenced to five years in prison. The people who set up the lab have remained unknown.

Secret entrance

In April 2021, the police raided a large business complex on the Meijnerswijk in Arnhem. There was a plaster wall in one of the rooms. Behind that wall was a hidden and well-insulated passageway and a secret entrance to the lab. The police state that it was a large and professionally set up drug laboratory. There were eight rooms in which methamphetamine (or crystal meth) was produced on a very large scale. The police had entered the shed with an armored vehicle (a Bearcat) by ramming the entrance.

Sleeping places

The building contained 622.2 kilos of methamphetamine, with a street value estimated by the judiciary of 42 million euros, and large quantities of all kinds of substances used in the production of crystal meth. The complex also contained a living space with three separate sleeping places and a kitchen that was arranged in such a way that the residents could stay there for some time.

Roof

During the police raid, the 35-year-old Colombian had hidden above the suspended ceiling. He fell through the ceiling and was then arrested. A 39-year-old and 28-year-old Colombians fled to the roof at the time of the raid. There they hid all night and the next day. They were subsequently arrested by the police.

Five days and two months

According to the court, both the 39-year-old suspect and the 28-year-old suspect produced large amounts of methamphetamine in the drug lab for at least five days. The 35-year-old suspect has worked in the drug lab for at least two months. During a week in April 2021, this production took place in association with the two co-defendants.

According to the court, it appears from the file that one of the suspects came to the Netherlands for no other purpose than to produce crystal meth. Thousands of euros were lent to him for the trip to the Netherlands by the unknown persons who set up the lab. In determining the penalty, the court takes into account that two suspects are not eligible for conditional release because they do not have a valid residence permit.

The court also takes into account that the detention conditions for the suspects will be more difficult because they do not speak Dutch.

Found this interesting? Then check our main news page where you can find all articles related to Crypto, Crime, Darknet, Security and much more!