Cabinet wants to raise maximum sentence for drug smuggling from 12 to 16 years

Justice Minister Dylan Yesirgoz-Zegerius wants to raise the maximum prison sentence for importing and exporting illegal drugs from 12 to 16 years. She also said that offenders of other drug crimes should be punished more severely.

Yesirgoz proposed extending prison terms for hard drug trade and production from eight to 12 years. Anyone caught with such a banned substance should be sentenced to up to eight years in prison instead of the current maximum of six, she wrote in a letter to Congress.

The minister had already announced in March that he wanted to increase sentences for serious drug offenses. This time, she announced how many years her prison term will be extended. Yesilgoz hopes to send a signal that this kind of crime is unacceptable. He hopes to have a proposal ready by the fall of next year that will allow the public and interest groups to express their views during the consultation period.

Italy’s rigorous approach to drug crime is a source of inspiration for Yesirgoz. Here, following the 1992 murders of judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, investigative powers and sentencing were significantly increased. They played a key role in the fight against the Sicilian Mafia.

Part of that approach is that investigations are focused on dismantling criminal power structures, not just individual leaders. Yesirgoz has seen a shift in that direction in the Netherlands and wants to continue. In addition, he says he wants to shorten procedures, as in Italy, to facilitate the seizure of money and goods if a crime may have been committed during the acquisition of property.

Yesirguez also wants stricter rules for dealing with key co-witnesses who provide information to prosecutors. She would like the law to more clearly set out the terms under which such transactions must avail. She wants to put on paper standardized agreements on safeguards, the rights and obligations of the state and those in need of protection, and the amount of money they can receive for maintenance.

“With housing explosions, youth recruited for drug crime, farmers pressured to turn barns into drug laboratories, our society and open economy are corrupt,” said Dutch organized crime. says Yesirguez. “We can no longer afford to be naive.”