Thai court sentences Dutch national to 103 years in jail

[Traveller45]

To say that I DONT QUITE UNDERSTAND is an understatement. Marijuana trade is legal in the Netherlands, so Dutch officials cannot place an arrest warrant for those activities abroad. He hasn't done anything wrong in Thailand. Neither does Thailand enforce its Laws outside territory. OK he is not very handsome and maybe he smells like drug trade, but that's not enough to sentence him like this

[elgordo38]

Somewhere along the money trail there had to be a Thai bank or two and a Thai bank officer or three. Where are the busts of those Thais in the banking wire transfer chain?

Follow the money honey. The best way to find out the truth. Unfortunately sometimes the search runs into a baht roadblock and gets derailed. It all about the velocity of money and here it goes at warp speed.

[IAMHERE]

no sympathy don't do the crime of you cant do the time!!!!!!!!!!

exactly, so what was his crime? Bringing money into Thailand.

[Equalizer]

Am i getting this right. He sold weed in a country that allows weed to be sold. He then invests in a country that has now jailed him because the money he is investing has been gained through the sale of a drug that is not allowed in Thailand, even thou he has never sold this drug in Thailand.

[Jimbo2014]

His crime was indeed bringing money to Thailand and this is a good lesson for all.

Before he was even charged with a crime the police had swept down and "confiscated" his four properties, cars, personal possessions and anything else they could get their hands on. It must have been jackpot party time down at the station that week with a net of over 150 million (his properties alone were over 100M). You can imagine the joy on the faces at this unexpected bounty. It certainly much easier than shaking down my maids father for 8000 baht by holding him on no charges in prison for 2 months.

So the lesson is clear. Dont invest in Thailand, dont bring any more money into Thailand than you need to live off, keep your head very low, refill your bank account as you need it from overseas.

[johnhw]

Money laundering...as in "corrupt"????

A FARANG??????

NNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWW, only Thais are corrupt!!!!!

[JulianLS]

So the extent of his crime is tax avoidance/evasion on coffee shop income? Starbucks does that in every country in which it operates (somehwat ironically basing some of the shell companies in The Netherlands)

Err.... no..... if you read the article, he was convicted of money laundering. Not tax evasion. They are two, completely different things.

[JulianLS]

Am i getting this right. He sold weed in a country that allows weed to be sold. He then invests in a country that has now jailed him because the money he is investing has been gained through the sale of a drug that is not allowed in Thailand, even thou he has never sold this drug in Thailand.

No, you haven't got it right.

He was convicted on money laundering. Not for investing his money in thailand (which is not money laundering). His assets in thailand were seized presumably because they suspect they come from the proceeds of money laundering (rather than his cafe business).

Just because he has a legit business in NL, doesnt mean he is not doing something less legit on the side. Not that I know whether this man is innocent or guilty. He may be innocent of money laundering. I don't know. But he was not convicted of investing in thailand, that is allowed if not encouraged!

[micmichd]

Why not convicted for drug-trafficking?

[Ulic]

I am not getting the same story as most TV readers. It sounds to me that he was in a semi

legal (as I understand it drugs are not legal in Holland, they just don't prosecute)

business in Holland. His brother says he paid his taxes on every Euro he earned and that is

why they could not prosecute him in Holland. But drugs (MJ/hash) are illegal in Thailand and

transferring profits to Thailand constitute money laundering in Thailand. If this is all true it

appears he is a victim of the Dutch/Thai authorities. Not sure what the full story is.

Edited November 11, 2015 by Ulic

[Briggsy]

Why not convicted for drug-trafficking?

Did you even bother to read any of the articles?

He is not involved in drugs in Thailand. He owned several licenced and legal coffeeshops (places that sell hash) in Holland and brought the cash to Thailand.

There is no evidence at all he trafficked drugs anywhere.

You also seem to be very confused (as are some other posters) what money laundering is. In most countries money laundering is defined as handling or possessing the proceeds of crime or possessing the proceeds of one's own crime. (There is also a facilitation clause which is mainly aimed at bankers and accountants - not relevant here)

Thus many posters are confused over how and with what evidence the Thai court came up with a money laundering conviction. For there to be such a conviction, there must be evidence of a crime having been committed.

[Andaman Al]

What laws did he break in Thailand? There is no mention of any transgression in either of the press stories. Was He selling drugs here? It does nor state so.

He was laundering money, as it does state in both stories, money laundering is a crime in Thailand as in most countries.

Did you know that the biggest Money launderer in the World is the USA. The Federal Reserve are pushing out Billions of dollars every month into the worlds economy (by ways I am not permitted to discuss on this forum), to bolster the dollar without increasing inflation. !! True that !!!

Can't he buy his way out of a Thai cconviction? I assume he can...and will. This is just a dog and pony show for the courts in the Netherlands.

He probably could have done till they took his life's earnings off him and his family.

Someone should ask the Thai visa lawyer how this makes any sense?

Go on then! Forums 'Top of the list of pages'.

[DaveinAsia]

As far as what I can read in the Dutch press they never wanted him arrested and trialed in Thailand. They just wanted him in question with the money laundering. It was not about the profits of his legal "coffee shops". They wanted him for money laundering and tax evasion, they are not happy Thailand trialed him at all.

Too bad for the guy this should not have happened.

What's the Dutch press going to write? He was sold out by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch Embassy in BKK did nothing to help him?

I stopped trusting the Dutch press after your NOS tried to tell lies about Putin last year to make him look bad. Funny enough they were caught! Same for your government. A bunch of snakes if you ask me

[stickylies]

Living the Life...

[micmichd]

Briggsy:

Sorry, German FARANG magazine says he smuggled marihuana from Thailand to Holland. So, he must have been in possession of weed in Thailand. And that is a crime in Thailand, like it or not.

I know pretty much about money laundering. I worked in a big bank myself, and we were forced to learn everything about it repeatedly.

Not saying that this Dutchman is innocent, but maybe guilty of another crime.

[Equalizer]

Am i getting this right. He sold weed in a country that allows weed to be sold. He then invests in a country that has now jailed him because the money he is investing has been gained through the sale of a drug that is not allowed in Thailand, even thou he has never sold this drug in Thailand.

No, you haven't got it right.

He was convicted on money laundering. Not for investing his money in thailand (which is not money laundering). His assets in thailand were seized presumably because they suspect they come from the proceeds of money laundering (rather than his cafe business).

Just because he has a legit business in NL, doesnt mean he is not doing something less legit on the side. Not that I know whether this man is innocent or guilty. He may be innocent of money laundering. I don't know. But he was not convicted of investing in thailand, that is allowed if not encouraged!

You dont get 103 years in a Thai jail for an argument between another country and one of its citizens over external taxes. They can request his extradition. The question remains, why has he been jailed here. Are you telling me this is not a ploy to seize all his assets in Thailand?

[Guitar God]

Coffeeshops in the Netherlands are a cash business. I figure he only declared a portion of his income and paid tax on that and pocketed the rest. His tax returns probably showed under 100k a year but when they investigated him they found he had millions in property and cash he couldn't explain and concluded he avoided paying tax on undeclared earnings. It wouldn't matter if he had a car wash or some other cash business, the belastingdienst (tax department) always wants their pound of flesh. They help themselves to 52% of income over 35k a year

The banks and government here want a cashless society. I sold a couple guitars and deposited less than 25k in cash and my bank thought it was suspicious and asked me about it with an attitude.

[micmichd]

His sentence was reduced to 20 years, and - according to FARANG magazine - he was in possession of weed in Thailand which he smuggled to Holland. Get it?

[MaeJoMTB]

Bringing more money into Thailand than you immediately need is criminal stupidity IMHO.

E24 million, why would he come to Thailand?

[micmichd]

Women, weather?

Everything is nicer in Thailand, whether you're rich or poor.

[z42]

Immoral. It would be interesting to get some kind of insight into what evidence was used to convict. Because the articles write as if he made the money legally and paid tax on it already.

103 years for anything other than murder or child sex crimes is reprehensible frankly

[flyingdoc]

With a name such as The Grass Company, I would have thought that would have invited extra scrutiny anyway !

[craigt3365]

Seems the authorities are spot on here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/745440-dutch-man-arrested-for-drugs-and-money-laundering-in-pattaya/

PATTAYA – July 23, 2014 [Pattaya Daily News];-at 07.00 am Mr.Surasak Treerattanakul- Attorney General-, Mr.Wanchai Rujjanawong-Attorney General-, Mr.Permpoon Pengprasith-deputy attorney general of DSI-, Pol.Col.Singhanart Prayoonrat-secretary of AMLO- and Pol.Col.Kampol Leelaprapaporn-superintendent of Huay Yai police station- led a team with a court order to inspect a house in Soi Phoenix golf club road, Bang Lamung district after the officers had been notified by the Dutch embassy that Mr Johannes Petrus Maria Van Laarhoven 53 year old from Netherland and his men had been trading drugs and money laundering.

At the scene there were 2 luxury houses where the police found Mr. Laarhoven and Mrs.Mingkwan Kaenin his 35 year old wife. The officers then searched the house and found some money, ornaments, gold ornaments and 2 pistols which were confiscated. Also they had confiscated houses, land deeds; cars and passbooks which were all valued about 50 million baht.

Mr.Surasak said that previously AMLO had cooperated with Dutch embassy that Mr Laarhoven had been trading cannabis in Netherlands without permission since 1st March 2007. He had opened coffee shops around the country as a cover to his real job and he had also grown cannabis in the basement. He then came to Thailand and set up a business to cover up his money laundering. Also he had bought lands, houses, cars and other property and was generating between 500-600 million baht per year.

Full story:http://www.pattayada...dering-pattaya/

[carlyai]

Come on guys, as a farang you can only get so big in Thailand.

Try to get more powerful and bigger than your status allows and this is what happens.

Have a look back at the history of big shot farangs in Thailand.

[KamalaRider]

no pitty for people like that

For whom? Do you know him at all or what he's supposed to have done?

I have no pity at all for people without ANY knowledge or without any brain cells, but that's just me.

[EnglishJohn]

Bringing more money into Thailand than you immediately need is criminal stupidity IMHO.

E24 million, why would he come to Thailand?

I think some people come to Thailand because they think their money means they can buy their way out of trouble if it ever catches up with them.

I wonder if the amount has anything to do with it. I heard stories of when someone is convicted, the police more or less strip his house in a looting frenzy.

[sambum]

"The arrest was made after Dutch public prosecution officials asked colleagues in Thailand for their help. They had been investigating Van Laarhoven’s company The Grass Company since 2011. As part of that investigation, officials were given the green light to sequester property and cash amounting to some €24m, much of which they believe had been invested in Thailand."

So perhaps at some future date the Thai police might ask for another country's help in solving a a case, rather than just let them "observe"? (Koh Tao)

Oh, sorry, just read the last bit where it says they believe that much of the 24m euros has been invested in Thailand. Does that mean that their Thai colleagues are going to help them get it back?

[thailanddogerator]

20 years for money laundering when some high rank officials always do it ?

[fekman]

Well by extraditing him nobody here could have claimed the cash and assets. I can only assume that the defence lawyers were totally stoned themselves to allow this to happen. If all is as said then this is a complete travesty. The guy was legal, so was his business, did he evade tax or did he avoid it, there is a HUGE legal difference, one is legal the other is not. If tax authorities wanted to investigate him that is all that was required. I do not think we have heard the last of this, once public opinion gets going, at least I hope for him and his families sake anyway.

For all of you spouting "don't do the crime if you can't do the time" you belong with the hang em high brigade. There is nothing in the details of the case that suggest criminal activity. he ran the coffee shops in Holland NOT Thailand. I hope a Dutch Lawyer picks this up and takes up his case.

And I assume this dude is loaded, and had the best attorneys. Thats scary. If it were some regular Moe like me, maybe I would have 900 years.

[luckyman]

He paid his taxes in the Netherlands, so how is it money laundering? Dutch authorities have shamelessly hung this guy out to dry, what complete bar stewards. If they had the evidence it should have been dealt with in NL. A death sentence in reality, outrageous.

Finally a post that makes sense and shows you really did read the article and fully understood what was in it, contrary to most other posters here.

All his buddies in NL were also arrested years ago and let go after they paid their taxes and fines. Maybe they set him up? Because he is not really liked around there and he has a lot of enemies.

What I don't get, is why they indicted him for laundering in Thailand, while they found proof that he shipped millions of Euros worth of cannabis out of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia for years. (Dutch authorities estimated that the Grass Company shipped 20 million euros of marijuana per year into the Netherlands for decades.

Perhaps laundry offences make it more easy for RTP to take him to the cleaners?

Another unrelated fact but worth mentioning here, when Johan went around town in Pattaya the last couple of years before his arrest, either going to a restaurant or to a a-go-go bar, he was often seen with very high police as well as high army dudes with him, like his 'friends'.

Maybe they saw what he owned and wanted that too....?