The 54-year-old Brabander who was wanted for his role in international drug trafficking was arrested in Slovakia on Monday. The man was sentenced last year to a prison term of more than eight years, but disappeared after the court’s verdict.
Giuliano A. from Geertruidenberg in North Brabant played a leading role within a criminal organization that engaged in large-scale international drug trafficking, reports the Public Prosecution Service. For example, he was involved in the smuggling of cocaine hidden in banana boxes. These were transported by ship from Colombia to Hamburg. The organization also traded in ketamine and MDMA.
The man was exposed because he and others sent messages via the ANOM messaging app. This app turned out to be secretly managed by the FBI, which could read the messages. The American security service shared the information about the gang with the Dutch authorities, after which the Brabander was arrested.
The court in Zwolle sentenced the man in April last year to a prison term of eight years and one month. The man was allowed to await the verdict in his case in freedom, but disappeared without a trace. A European Arrest Warrant (EAW) was therefore issued against him.
The specialist team FastNL (Fugitive Active Search Team) tracked down the man and ended up in Slovakia. There, the man tried to escape on Monday, but was cornered by the Slovak police and arrested. The Netherlands has requested his extradition.