Arrests on suspicion of laundering

On Tuesday morning 25 January 2011, police arrested five suspects on suspicion of laundering, forgery and selling necessities for hemp cultivation to foreign buyers, among others. Searches took place at 25 locations both inside and outside the Netherlands and various goods were seized.

In September 2009, the police initiated an investigation into a firm (grow-shop) in Wijchen (NL), after dubious money flows and financing constructions had been observed at this firm. In first instance, the investigation was focussed on laundering money that had been earned in earlier hemp related offences. Later on, the suspicion arose that the suspects were also guilty of (illegal) hemp cultivation inside and outside the Netherlands by way of facilitating hemp nurseries.

Two firms in Wijchen are designated as suspects as well.

Deployment Over 450 police officers participated in the action on Tuesday morning. Authorities that were involved in this action: Gelderland-Zuid Police Force, the Public Prosecution Service in Arnhem, the Tax Authorities, the city of Wijchen, the Supra Regional Criminal Investigation Service, the Asset Recovery Unit of the Public Prosecution Service, the National Police Agency and the police and judicial authorities in Belgium, Spain and Aruba. Early in the morning, at 25 locations premises were raided simultaneously. Three suspects were apprehended in two houses in Nijmegen. The suspects are a 52–year old man, a 52 –year old woman and a 26 –year old man.

One 65-year old man was arrested in Wijchen.

Searches were conducted at different locations (grow-shop, business premises, houses inside and outside the Netherlands). Outside the Netherlands searches were conducted in Belgium, Spain and Aruba. At various places accounting books and goods such as expensive cars, houses in the Netherlands and Spain, business premises, stocks, money and jewellery, were seized. It is suspected that the seized goods had been financed with laundered capital.

In addition, the seized goods may be used as securities for the execution of a confiscation order to be imposed.

Punishability In the Netherlands, running a grow-shop is not punishable. This investigation concentrates on the suspicion of indictable offences via this grow-shop in Wijchen. There is the suspicion of forgery and laundering of earlier proceeds originating from organised hemp cultivation. At least three suspects are also suspected of being guilty of hemp related offences. They are suspected of hemp cultivation and trafficking, committed in the period between 2002 and 2008. In addition, there is the suspicion of facilitating the hemp cultivation in a foreign country, by way of supplying materials/goods which are destined to hemp cultivation and/or setting up hemp nurseries. The suppliers are suspected of being aware of the destination of these materials and of their use. In general, grow-shops are considered to be the kingpins in organized hemp related crime.

This grow-shop and the wholesale trade run by the suspects is regarded as an important supplier to persons who are involved in hemp cultivation inside and outside the Netherlands.

Laundering Laundering money that is earned by way of criminal activities, results in the interrelation between the underworld and the straight world.

The fight against laundering is a priority of the police and the Public Prosecution Service.

Comprehensive approach In this large scale investigation many parties cooperated in a very good way:

Gelderland-Zuid Police Force, the Public Prosecution Service in Arnhem, the Tax Authorities, the city of Wijchen, the Supra Regional Criminal Investigation Service, the Asset Recovery Unit of the Public Prosecution Service, the National Police Agency and the police and judicial authorities in the Czech Republic, Belgium, Spain, England, Germany and Aruba.

This investigation was conducted according to the programmatic approach. This means that police and Public Prosecution Service closely work together with other parties such as the city and tax authorities to create barriers, each from out of their own possibilities, in their cooperative approach to tackle and reduce certain forms of crime.

International cooperation Of those 25 locations, 13 are in the region Gelderland-Zuid (Nijmegen, Gendt, Wijchen, Berg en Dal). Verder hebben er doorzoekingen plaatsgevonden in Rotterdam, Doorwerth, Rosmalen, Amsterdam, Mierlo, Beverwijk and various locations outside the Netherlands.

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