It’s one of the biggest international heroin lines discovered in the Netherlands country in recent years. And the man running the show hails from Eindhoven.
The case began in 2018. Police found out about a man named Yüsuf S. (45), originally from Eindhoven. People named him as the co-financier and organiser of an international drug ring. The police discovered that the man was providing cover loads, like marble tiles, in which the drugs were hidden.
He also arranged for warehouses where the runners could offload the drugs. Law enforcement connected him to vast amounts of heroin transports. These came in by road and sea.
Tons of drugs
This involved multiple shipments of as much as 954kg and almost 1,26 tons. The drugs came into the country via the port of Antwerp. Yusuf’s name also came up when authorities intercepted 268kg of heroin at the Italian port of Genoa.
Italian customs officials confiscated most of the drugs. They left 2kg as evidence. Undercover officers covertly followed the lorry. It was driven to a warehouse near Roosendaal. There, Dutch and Italian cops swooped in.
Part of global drug route
Dutch investigators found that this route was part of a global drug network. Between November 2018 and November 2019, authorities intercepted several heroin shipments. These were all linked to the same gang. They ranged in size from 29 to 658kg.
According to the police, the Netherlands was always the shipments’ destination. Criminals would then smuggle it into England, Scandinavia, and Germany. The gang also had a warehouse in Arnhem.
The Public Prosecutor’s office considers Yusuf as the ring leader. That’s why they’re demanding a 12-year jail sentence. Four other men could go to prison for between six and eight years. Four others have already been convicted, each receiving four years.
Worth millions
Based on a price of €10,000/kg, the drugs were worth millions. The 658kg shipment alone would be worth almost €2.7 million on the street.
During the investigation, the police traced more heroin shipments that they linked to this crime syndicate. In Kazakhstan, for example, the police intercepted a load of 1,1 tons. They found it in a truck carrying natural stone.
The court in Zwolle will sentence Yusuf and his fellow drug dealers on 11 May.
Source: OmroepBrabant
Translator: Melinda Walraven
