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Dutch Man Arrested For Drugs and Money Laundering in Pattaya


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Dutch Man Arrested For Drugs and Money Laundering in Pattaya

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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.pattayadailynews.com/pattaya-news/dutch-man-arrested-drugs-money-laundering-pattaya/

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-- Pattaya Daily News 2014-07-23

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Now all the Thai authorities have to do is PROVE that he obtained the property etc. illegally. I would think that this man will have the best lawyers money can buy working for him.

We all know it's not going to be in his name anyway as that's not possible.

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TRAFFICKING
Couple nabbed for trafficking pot

Piyanut Tumnukasetchai
The Nation

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Dutch man, Thai wife also face moneylaundering charges, Bt150m in assets frozen

PATTAYA: -- A DUTCH MAN and his Thai wife were arrested yesterday in Pattaya for allegedly conspiring to sell marijuana via a network in the Netherlands that reportedly earned Bt600 million to Bt800 million per year.


Authorities froze the couple's assets worth about Bt150 million.

According to Thai law, the couple will be tried and punished here before being extradited to the Netherlands.

Following a request by the Dutch government, a team comprising agents from the office of the Attorney-General, the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) searched four sites in Chon Buri province. Johannes Petrus Maria Vanar-hoven and Mingkwan Vanarhoven were charged with transnational drug trafficking and money laundering.

Surasak Trirattrakul, an executive from the Office of the Attorney-General, said the two suspects and the man's elder brother, who |was already arrested, allegedly imported and distributed marijuana beyond the Dutch legal amount for years and laundered drug money by purchasing assets and opening businesses in other countries including Thailand.

Wanchai Rujanawong, spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General, said the gang reportedly gathered drugs in Asia to be smuggled into the Netherlands, where they had coffee shops as a cover-up business.

AMLO will check with banks about safe deposit boxes that the couple might have rented to hide their assets.

Wanchai praised the successful operation and said he hoped this would lead to further cooperation to crack down on transnational criminals in tourist destinations such as Pattaya and Phuket.

Sihanart Prayoonrat, secretary-general of AMLO, said his agency had seized Bt20 million in bank accounts, eight properties worth Bt100 million, three luxury cars worth Bt30 million and some cash, gold ornaments and two pistols |with 159 bullets belonging to the couple.

Phermphun Phungprasit, deputy director-general of the DSI, said the agency had worked on this case for a year until they reached the couple. The agency then contacted prosecutors to approve the arrest warrants and later to proceed with the extradition.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Couple-nabbed-for-trafficking-pot-30239297.html

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-- The Nation 2014-07-24

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Dutchman arrested on Drugs & Money Laundering Charges at his Pattaya house

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PATTAYA: -- Early on Wednesday Morning a team of officers from Police and Government Departments conducted a raid on two luxury houses close to the Phoenix Golf Club in the Southern outskirts of Pattaya and arrested a 53 year old Dutchman and his Thai Wife.

The raid took place in conjunction with the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok and featured officers from the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), The Department of Special Investigations (DSI), The Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB), the Office of the Attorney General and Huay Yai Police.

Inside the house was Mr. Johannes Petrus Maria Van Laarhoven aged 53 from The Netherlands and his wife, Khun Mingkwam aged 35. Mr. Laarhoven is wanted by Dutch Authorities in relation to a charge of cultivating and selling Marijuana without a permit back in The Netherlands dating back to 2008.

At this point he came to Thailand where he is accused of Money Laundering offences under the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 1999. It is suspected he opened a company and allegedly laundering 5-600 Million Baht per year.

Full story: http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/136119/dutchman-arrested-on-drugs-money-laundering-charges-at-his-pattaya-house/

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-- Pattaya One 2014-07-24

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I notice that they didn't actually find any drugs but the word of his own embassy is enough to go on to arrest him and seize all his ornaments, gold ornaments and property.

It's going to be a 'sitcky situation' if he requests consular assistance...

Money laundering ?

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Remember until just recently( and I think they are allowing it again) Canabbis in Coffee shops in the Netherlands was legal.

Likely that he didn't follow the business licensing process for the business. They infer that in the story. Coffee and cannabis in one place is OK but you must license it that way.

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"According to Thai law, the couple will be tried and punished here before being extradited to the Netherlands."

And what did they do here in Thailand, that constitutes a crime ? Invest - buy houses and cars - had money in the bank ?

Seems unlikely they can be tried and punished here, for crimes done in Holland.

So if anything, they should extradite him back home like yesterday.

Oh and what's the crime of the Thai lady, marrying a seemingly rich "businessman" ?

if you read the article I believe it is indicating that he and his wife were still running the business from Thailand, any money they spent here was earned through the illegal trade of drugs in the Netherlands and possibly other locations and was being supplied from Asia, this guy and all those involved will be facing charges both here and in Europe, you could most likely include tax evasion into the mix as well, which jail he goes to first is a mutt point

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As usual the story is very convoluted . Misinformation obtained thru a Thai interpreter. I don't see what crime he committed in Thailand. And his crime in the Netherlands is only an assertion at this point. The Thai authorities sure didn't waste any time grabbing his assets though.

Yeah, thats the weird part. He is innocent until proven guilty, so how can seizing his property be legal ?

I mean they could freeze his assets if needed, but to actually seize assets from a yet to be proven guilty person seems harsh.

If anything thats the real crime here... .....

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500mio baht per year with selling cannabis?!? blink.png

Sorry but the numbers in the story looks kind of inaccurate. Also did they really arrested him? The article said that they came to inspect the house and on the picture you can see they guy sitting quite relaxed on a sofa.

Relaxed on the sofa yes of course must be sampling his own product, is this going to be one of the many stories with no follow up. Frustrates me that does, not that this particular item is that important to me.

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the guy is a gangster and the authorities want him back - Thailand supports the request and all his assets here go to................someone

whatever

to his 35 year-old Thai wife, perhaps ? whistling.gif

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