Google translated from Dutch
From the edition of November 25, 2020: With the deployment of criminal civilian infiltrators, for the first time since the notorious IRT affair, the investigative services at the Frisian Hells Angels have rolled up international drug lines. How exactly did the investigators proceed? Panorama has obtained the criminal file with revealing details.
It is spring 2018 when Justin S. (35) from the Frisian Dongeradeel asks an acquaintance a question. Justin has known the man for ten years and inquires whether he does not know a foreign buyer for narcotics. The two talk a little further, but no concrete agreements follow yet. But the message for the acquaintance is clear: old acquaintance Justin apparently wants to start smuggling drugs. And that’s how to make the ‘big money’.
What Justin S. does not know, however, is that the man he approaches has been a secret informant of the police for quite some time. All alarm bells will ring there if he shares this information. It heralds the start of a major infiltration operation.
On May 17, 2018, Public Prosecutor Kappeyne van de Coppello decides to conclude an agreement with the above-mentioned informant as a criminal civilian infiltrator, who from then on bears the name A-4110. He has to do all kinds of services for the police and the judiciary in the deepest secrecy. He must pass on the information he receives to the government.
The purpose of the operation is to gain the trust of suspect Justin S. through pseudo-purchase of narcotics and thus gain insight into suspected contacts between the same S. and executives of Hells Angelschapter Northcoast (HANC).
This operation of the Criminal Investigation Unit Northern Netherlands is called Vidar.
Everything out of the closet
The Public Prosecution Service expects a lot from Vidar. Every effort is made to map out the criminal practices of the gang as completely as possible. In addition to the aforementioned criminal civilian infiltrator A-4110, the police will also have access to a foreign investigating officer who was honorably discharged in 2017.
This man is therefore officially an ‘ordinary citizen’. He is civilian infiltrator number 2 and is given the name A-4133 on paper. He is also known as ‘John the Irishman’.
The suspects who, next to Justin S., come under the scrutiny of the investigators are: Freddy H. (50) from Leeuwarden, Marco H. (55) from Laren, Amsterdammer Jarvin O. (46), the Dave brothers (35) and Jesse W. (29) from Franeker, 33-year-old Marco K. from Leeuwarden, Egbert J. (41) from Noardburgum and Italian Christian M. (49) who lives in the Finnish capital Helsinki. Some of these individuals can be directly linked to the Hells Angels, in particular to the Frisian and Finnish branches of the worldwide known motorcycle club. They frequently appear during this extensive investigation, which focuses on drug lines to Ireland, Australia and Finland, among other things. According to the investigation, the transports to Ireland took place from September to December 2018.
Freddy H. is indiscretion itself. He also says he has 40 liters of oil and ’80 hash’ for Norway and ’80 speed’ for Finland
So there is a real smuggling route from Leeuwarden to the land of the vast farmlands, the Irish pubs and of course the liters of beer in large glasses. The criminal civilian infiltrator A-4110 is frequently deployed to properly arrange the four so-called pseudo purchases for the justice system for the Fryslân-Ireland line. The Irish ‘buyer’ of the parties is thus civilian infiltrator A-4133. Everything is going well, in the second half of 2018, drug delivery to the infiltrator actually took place three times. Suspect Justin S. would have played an important role in this. He didn’t notice the detective watching in the background. Talks of him about the supply of amphetamine have been overheard and are therefore on tape.
Justin S. turns out to be a good talker, there is no lack of indiscretion and naivety. During meetings with the infiltrators, he would have insisted on larger transports of narcotics. For example, he tells A-4133 that he must purchase ‘more than ten kilos’ and that the price drops for orders over fifty kilos.
Sami N. does not realize that he is constantly spied on in Finland. While he is handcuffed, the police find kilos of drugs and weapons
More drugs to Finland
Apparently the Frisian motorcycle boys do not bet on one horse in terms of smuggling routes. The drug line to Finland is also mentioned in this file of many hundreds of pages. What exactly is this? In January 2019, suspect Freddy H. knocked on the door of criminal civilian infiltrator A-4110 with the request to tackle drugs for Finland. The Hells Angels would also be linked to that transport. Freddy H., like Justin S., is apparently indecisive, because he also claims to have 40 liters of oil and ’80 hash’ for Norway and ’80 speed’ for Finland. To arrange these transports, the German undercover agent A-2421 comes into the picture. During a recorded telephone conversation, this spy says that he asks 500 euros per kilo for 80 kilos and takes all the money ‘before the start’. So an advance payment.
Defendant Freddy H. responds to this by saying that ‘we never work like this and never pay in advance’, as the detectives describe later in the investigation file. Among other things, he doubts the reliability of the German agent A-2421 due to the prepayment requirement, because a deposit is not customary. Civilian infiltrator A-4110, however, reassures Freddy H.. He knows from experience that A-2421 is a reliable party, he lies to H.. “If that turns out not to be the case, then I’m the asshole,” A-4110 tells Freddy H. He responds wittily and jokes that ‘if so’ A-4110 can sleep on ‘base’, on a chain from the chapter, where they have a party every Friday and walk in colors.
“And that those guys from Finland just come over.”
Freddy H. also says that the Finns are dangerous people: “They killed the other one too one day, that little one. That Italian.
You are dealing with the Finnish Hells Angels here.” This is followed by some time consultation between the various parties involved. In the end, it was decided that the Finnish drug transport could take place on March 2 this year. Then you have to cash out.
Freddy H. then tells civilian infiltrator A-4110 that he can get a so-called ‘stash car’. The day before the drug transport to Finland, A-4110 and the suspects Freddy H. and Marco H. meet in cafe Peke van der Wal in Leeuwarden to smooth out the last folds. Co-defendant Justin S., who was seen during the investigation at the Hells Angels clubhouse on Marconistraat in Harlingen, also joins later.
The money from the deposit ends up in the hands of the suspects. An observant Justin S. then decides remarkably enough to remove the rubber bands that are around the piles of bills because there may be DNA on them, civilian infiltrator A-4110 will explain later. As mentioned, the carefully prepared drug transport will go to Finland at the beginning of March this year. By car.
What the suspects do not know, of course: the investigators were able to watch and listen closely during all those preparations. Instead of a party because of a successful drug smuggling, the criminals get a big blow. On March 1, they run into the light when several arrests take place. In addition, the packages of 86 kilos of amphetamine in the prepared car are intercepted just before the German border. The narcotics destined for Finland are quickly exchanged by the investigators for a surrogate. That fake batch of drugs eventually arrives in Scandinavia by car. The police and the judiciary there were informed well in advance by colleagues from the Netherlands.
As a result, observing Finnish agents see the Finnish Hells Angel Sami N. take the packages from a Volkswagen Caddy that is parked in front of a hotel in the town of Vantaa. Then the motorcycle club member drives to a warehouse in Tuusula. The man does not realize that he is constantly being spied on. Sami N. unloads the surrogate amphetamine and puts it in the warehouse. Then the investigative services invade the building in Tuusula. While N. is handcuffed, they also find 9 kilos of hash and various weapons during a further search. An interesting by-catch. Justice thinks that this has inflicted a major blow on the infamous motorcycle club.
During raids in Friesland, firearms, brass knuckles, pepper spray, speed, cocaine, GHB and ecstasy are seized
‘Blap day’ with raids
So much for the drug line between Friesland and Scandinavia. But according to justice, the drug transports also go to Australia, via Thailand. Neither expense nor effort is spared by the drug gang. Suspect Freddy H. travels to Asia together with civilian infiltrator A-4110 in July and September 2019. The duo encounters a man who says he can arrange a storage place for the drugs smuggled from the Netherlands, after which they will be transferred to Australia. What Freddy H. does not know, however: this contact person is also an undercover agent, who has the name A-2395 in the file. In conversations, H. openly talks about the possible transport of speed and coke. According to the detectives, the Frisian also says that he has three parties that want to send narcotics to Australia: ‘the English, a Turk from Amsterdam and the Hells Angels’.
Despite all the preparatory work, the drug transport to Australia will not come to fruition. Apparently the feeling of the suspects is not good. Freddy H. says about this according to the investigative services:
“We were warned, if you smell smoke, you have to leave.” Despite this disappointment, the investigative services think they still have enough evidence to charge the suspects with making plans for drug transport.
As mentioned, in March this year, after almost two years of intensive police investigation, the ‘blow day’ in the investigation into the Frisian Hells Angels with several raids and arrests in Franeker, Harlingen, Leeuwarden, Noardburgum, Ried, Stiens, Sumar, Warfstermolen, Warten , Westergeest and the Frisian town of Zurich. Five firearms with associated ammunition, brass knuckles and pepper spray are seized. A number of weapons are secretly hidden in a plastic barrel in the ground. The investigators also find sixteen blocks of hash and more than 300 hemp plants; plus speed, cocaine, GHB and ecstasy and adulterants used in drug production. At one of the addresses are the remains of an underground cannabis nursery. Justice also seizes a house worth 350,000 euros, expensive watches and three cars.
Right to remain silent and deny
Most suspects, who also face a conviction for participation in a criminal organization, have so far invoked their right to remain silent, or deny any involvement in drug trafficking, sources surrounding the investigation said.
A question that the lawyers of the nine suspects will certainly ask: was all this worth the deployment of infiltrators, including a criminal for the first time? Jan-Hein Kuijpers, lawyer for suspect Justin S., has previously indicated that he is surprised about the use of such a heavy substance in ‘an average drug business’.
Gita Biesmans, counsel for suspected drug transporter Egbert J., also sees this that way.
“I don’t want to say anything else now in the interest of my client.” The court in Leeuwarden will consider this case during an interim hearing on 30 November. It is not yet known when the substantive process will take place.
THE TAP CONVERSATION ABOUT XTC AND MDMA
During the lengthy Vidar investigation, many (telephone) conversations were intercepted, among other things. Such as the conversation below between an undercover agent, suspect Justin S. and the criminal civilian infiltrator.
‘NTV’ means: incomprehensible.
4133: Everything comes by truck
4110: Yes
4133: So everything we sell, cigarettes, everything, it all comes by truck. But anything else where we might be able to do business in the future?
J: Yeah, uh ecstasy or something… ecstasy… but it depends. Look, I can’t say this is the price because it depends on the price of the MDMA
4133: Yes
J: I don’t know the price of MDMA at the moment, the currency…
4110: Up and Down
J: Goes up and down. NTV about that.
But that too. Everything is possible. We have good people and uh. Yes
4110: NTV
J: I don’t do heroin and stuff like that because it’s not good… good for karma
4133: No, it’s not, it’s not, and it’s not… everything else is partying, but it’s not
J: Wrong taste of the people around it. I don’t care
4110: Heroin?
4133: Yes
J: Heroin, crystal meth… NTV… not mine
4133: But of course you do everything else but you don’t…
J: Everything else of course
THE OLD BAD OF THE IRT AFFAIR
In the 1990s, the deployment of criminal civilian infiltrators got out of hand during the so-called IRT affair. The police then let batches of drugs through with the idea of reaching the big players.
This concerned the so-called Interregional Investigation Team. In 1994, a parliamentary inquiry was conducted into the investigative methods of this team in the fight against organized crime. The reason was a statement from 1993 by the then mayor of Amsterdam Van Thijn, the chief commissioner of the police Nordholt and the chief public prosecutor Vrokken, in which they canceled their cooperation with the IRT. They openly distanced themselves from the IRT method, in which infiltrators themselves imported drugs in the hope of tracking down large gangs. This dubious method rendered the evidence useless in court.
The Wieringa Commission, however, concluded that the IRT had been a successful and well-run team, which had been disbanded unnecessarily. It cost the responsible ministers Hirsch Ballin (Justice) and Van Thijn (Internal Affairs) their heads. After this, the House of Representatives decided to conduct a parliamentary inquiry. In the final report of survey chairman Van Traa, it was concluded that from now on only legally tested investigative methods may be used. A strict condition is, among other things, that the deployment of criminal infiltrators is only permitted if no other investigative method works.
LISTEN TO THAILAND
Justice has recently submitted several international requests for legal assistance in the Vidar investigation to obtain information about the many suspects, according to the criminal file. The investigators want to collect even more evidence.
Germany Several requests for legal assistance have been made to the German authorities. One of these is an application about bank transactions of a company of suspect Egbert J.
England England has been asked by the justice system to compare the personal data associated with a certain profile with data from the DNA database of Great Britain. In addition, a request has been submitted to the English investigative services to send the historical call data of suspect Marco H. from Laren. This concerns interviews from May 30 to June 2, 2019.
France Justice has asked French colleagues for the historical call data of Marco H., in the period from 27 to 30 May 2019.
Finland Several requests have been made by the justice system to this country. This includes hearing from suspect Sami N. and financial information about suspect Christian M., who officially lives in Scandinavia.
Greece The Dutch investigative services have also sent a request to the Greek investigators for several telephone numbers of Marco H..
Spain At the Spanish judiciary for historical data on telephone numbers of the suspects Jarvin O. and, again, Marco H.
Thailand The Thai authorities have been requested to hand over the recorded conversations between suspect Freddy H., criminal civilian infiltrator A-4110 and an undercover agent to the judiciary in the Netherlands from 2 to 12 July 2019.
MUD SPOILIZED DRUG MONEY
According to the justice system in the Northern Netherlands, the aim of the organization that had been rolled up in this case was also money laundering. At various times large amounts of money were received in cash and divided between suspects, which according to the investigators are related to drug transports.
‘In April 2019, Freddy H. tells A-4110 that 100,000 euros should come in. Then H. and A-4110 will drive to the home of Marco H. on April 13, 2019,” the detective notes afterwards in the investigation file. ‘h. enters without A-4110. Moments later, both H’s come out and get into the car at A-4110. They drive to another street. Marco H. takes a bag from a parked Peugeot here and places the bag on the passenger seat of the vehicle of A-4110.’
Marco H. speaks briefly with Freddy H. and then drives away in the Peugeot. The latter gets back into the car of A-4110. The investigative services put this in the file:
‘It then turns out that there are sealed packages of money in the bag and that there is mud or soil on them.’
Freddy H. is said to have said to this: ‘Look, they buried it in the gravel.’ Then A-4110 and Freddy H. drive on H.’s instructions with the money to the home of co-defendant Egbert J. in Noardburgum and Freddy H. goes inside, where he leaves the money behind.
