The owner of the Netherlands' biggest hashish-selling cafe has been ordered to pay €9.7m in fines and sentenced to 16 weeks in jail for soft drugs trading.
Judges in Middelburg found the owner and members of staff guilty of breaking drugs laws, exporting drugs and membership of a criminal organization. The owner, Meddie W, was sentenced to 16 weeks in jail, a term he has already spent in prison before the trial. The prosecution had called for a 18-month sentence.
At its height, the Checkpoint cafe in Teurneuzen near the Belgian border was serving up to 3,000 clients and processing 10 kg of marijuana a day. Checkpoint was a well-oiled machine in terms of production, processing and storage, which meant it could be considered a criminal organisation, the judges said.
Note EU-Digest: The Netherlands is the only EU country which allows the sale of drugs and it is not uncommon to see minors using drugs openly in public areas. The drinking age in the Netherlands is also set at the low age of 16 and binge drinking by minors has become a major problem in the country.
For more: DutchNews.nl - Cannabis cafe owner fined, council criticised
Judges in Middelburg found the owner and members of staff guilty of breaking drugs laws, exporting drugs and membership of a criminal organization. The owner, Meddie W, was sentenced to 16 weeks in jail, a term he has already spent in prison before the trial. The prosecution had called for a 18-month sentence.
At its height, the Checkpoint cafe in Teurneuzen near the Belgian border was serving up to 3,000 clients and processing 10 kg of marijuana a day. Checkpoint was a well-oiled machine in terms of production, processing and storage, which meant it could be considered a criminal organisation, the judges said.
Note EU-Digest: The Netherlands is the only EU country which allows the sale of drugs and it is not uncommon to see minors using drugs openly in public areas. The drinking age in the Netherlands is also set at the low age of 16 and binge drinking by minors has become a major problem in the country.
For more: DutchNews.nl - Cannabis cafe owner fined, council criticised
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