WILLEMSTAD - A young man from Curaçao has been sentenced by the Dutch court’s Juvenile Criminal Court to 270 days of youth detention for the deliberate importation of nearly 1.9 kilograms of cocaine from Curaçao to the Netherlands. The judge imposed 69 days of unconditional detention, which corresponds to the time the defendant has already spent in pretrial detention. The remaining 201 days are conditional, with a probation period of two years.
The defendant was arrested on August 11 at Schiphol Airport, where customs officers discovered 1,889.89 grams of cocaine in his suitcase. The young man claimed that he had received the suitcase from an unknown man in Curaçao, with instructions to transport food items to the Netherlands. Although he briefly inspected the suitcase, he stated that he did not notice anything suspicious. However, the court determined that he had knowingly accepted the risk that the suitcase contained drugs, leading to a conviction for conditional intent.
In determining the sentence, the court took into account the defendant's young age, clean criminal record, and the recommendations of the Child Protection Board. The Board emphasized the boy’s impulsiveness and susceptibility to influence, suggesting that prolonged detention would be detrimental to his development. As a result, the court opted for a partially conditional sentence, with the young man remaining under the supervision of youth probation services and being placed in a foster home.
In addition to detention, the young man will be subject to strict conditions, including a curfew with electronic monitoring and mandatory participation in day activities. The court decided not to impose additional conditions for his return to Curaçao due to the uncertainty of enforcement. The focus is on providing guidance and supervision to help the young man make a fresh start and support his rehabilitation.