Netherlands: The mega-trial that exposed the power of criminal gangs in the European country

Two other men, Saeed R. and Mario R., whose full names cannot be revealed under Dutch law, were also sentenced to life in prison.

Those involved were found guilty of complicity in murder, attempted murder, and preparation and complicity in murder.

But as part of the massive trial, 17 other people were sentenced to terms ranging from life to one year and nine months in jail.

The nature and scale of this case are unprecedented in the Netherlands.

It took 142 days of hearings, 800 pages of arguments and more than 3,000 pages of lawyers’ documents over nearly six years to reach Tuesday’s decision.

From the beginning, “Megatrial”, which Started on March 11, 2021Surrounded by privacy and security.

The president of the court said that the case “Marengo”Named after the keywords of the police operation that led to the arrests, it involved acts of “brutal and disturbing violence”.

He said, “When we read the messages in the file, we are transported to a world where human life has no value.”

The trial has captivated a country that has only recently been forced to confront its own violent criminal world.

The gang prepared for their murders by using “spotters” and sophisticated sound equipment.

According to the court, the organization included among its numerous members not only gunmen and drivers, but also corrupt officials who provided inside information.

Taghi, 46, was found guilty of being the undisputed leader of the criminal organization believed to be one of the largest drug cartels in the Netherlands.

He was the subject of an international arrest warrant and was eventually detained in Dubai in 2019, where he was living under the radar in a suburban mansion.

in the lead, five people died During 18 months. In addition, two murders were attempted and other crimes were planned.

An attack was also planned on a “spy shop” that sold sophisticated surveillance equipment and where the gang was a regular customer.

For years, Taghi and his group seemed to operate with impunity: their crimes were obscured by a culture of fear and silence.

Criminal rivals, partners who defaulted on their loans or spoke to gang enemies or the police were at risk of being added to the target list for destruction.

were like Tagi’s A new kind of Dutch gangster Joe grew up in the void left by notorious old-school gangsters like Willem Hollider. Its appearance marked a worrying escalation in the war on drugs.

The ease with which Taghi decided whether someone should be killed was described by the judges as “shocking” and ruthless.

In some cases, minors were also present when their parents were shot dead.

Taghi was not among the eight suspects who appeared in court on Tuesday.

who did He was taken to a high security courtnicknamed “Bunker”In armored vehicles.

Heavily armed police wearing bulletproof vests and balaclavas stood guard outside the building, while surveillance drones flew overhead.

The court highlighted that the perpetrators did not have any living relatives among the victims. exercised the right to speak or filed a complaint As an injured party, Fear And this Vulnerability Which they still feel.

One person who spoke was a man named Nabil B., who became the key witness in the mega-trial.

Court cameras only captured video below his neck to protect his identity.

Nabeel B. was found guilty of being an accessory to murder, but was given a sentence of less than 10 years due to personal circumstances and his role in bringing his former associates to justice.

Just before the verdict was read, the court considered three murders of people close to Nabil B., all of which occurred while the investigation was ongoing.

In early 2018, a week after it became public that Nabeel B. had become an informant, his brother was shot dead.

A year later, Nabil B’s lawyer, Dirk Wiersum, was murdered in front of his home.

Then, in July 2021, his confidant, investigative journalist Peter R. De Vries was shot after leaving a television studio in central Amsterdam. He died shortly afterwards.

Nabil B described the Marengo case as “The worst and most toxic test ever conducted.”,

Before handing down the sentence on Tuesday, the court said the three murders had added a “dark colour” to the proceedings.

Those murders are now being investigated in separate cases.