Dutch coffee shop fined 10 million euros for breaking drug law

[mriko]

Dutch coffee shop fined 10 million euros for breaking drug law

A Dutch court has fined the owner of the Netherlands' biggest cannabis-selling coffee shop 10m euros (£9m, $13.3m) for breaking drugs laws.

Owner Meddie Willemsen, who was tried along with 15 staff of the Checkpoint coffee shop in Terneuzen, was also sentenced to a 16-week prison term.

He was convicted for keeping more than the maximum tolerated amount of 500g (18oz) of drugs at the cafe.

Checkpoint served up to 3,000 people a day before being closed last year.

On a couple of occasions, police found 200kg (440lb) of cannabis when they raided the coffee house.

Willemsen was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, but was released as he had already spent the time in jail ahead of the trial.

He and his staff were convicted of breaking drugs laws, exporting drugs and membership of a criminal organisation.

The 10m euro fine was lower than the 28m euro fine prosecutors had asked for because of the "role of the authorities" in allowing Checkpoint to grow unchecked.

"Checkpoint could not have expanded as much as it did without collaboration from the municipality of Terneuzen," a court statement said.

The town, close to the Belgian border, put up road signs showing the way to the Checkpoint and built a car park near it to reduce traffic congestion in town.

Though technically illegal, the Netherlands decriminalised the consumption and possession of under 5g (0.18oz) of cannabis in 1976 under an official "tolerance" policy.
from : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8587576.stm

My, 10 millions, that is painfull...

Irie !

 

[Kaneh]

Ouch!

 

[stasis]

wow. So that is how they decided to handle the border-cannabis issue....

 

[JamieShoes]

200kg on site? holy cow!

 

[Moppel]

they didnt have 200 kilo in the shop. The 200 kilo was found in (stash)houses from the employees.

 

[JamieShoes]

ahhh k... I was thinking...200kg? thats just madness....LOL

 

[Yes4Prop215]

haah yea when you can only keep 18 zones at the main location gotta have stash houses to hold the reinforcements..

 

[eugenegreen]

The town built them a parking lot?
Damn...
Getting the city to fill potholes round here is tough enough!

 

[2Lazy]

And they served 3,000 people daily?! Figure if each person averages 40 euro, that's 120,000 euro per day. This guy could pay of the court fine with one weeks worth of revenue.

Just the gov't getting their cut. He probably stopped greasing the local constable. A victim of his own success!

 

[love?]

And they served 3,000 people daily?! Figure if each person averages 40 euro, that's 120,000 euro per day. This guy could pay of the court fine with one weeks worth of revenue.

Just the gov't getting their cut. He probably stopped greasing the local constable. A victim of his own success!

Well they lost their license. Or at least they closed as the article states that "Checkpoint served up to 3,000 people a day before being closed last year". I'm guessing they wanted that nice property with a brand new parking lot and everything for some other use.

 

[mriko]

2Lazy, one week revenue is not even one million, the guy has been fined 10 millions, not one.

Irie !

 

[rkp6]

Poor guy

 

[2Lazy]

HA! I was all baked... Okay, okay, 7 weeks.

 

[Snype]

Shit like this gets me so pissed off. Amsterdam is going down hill. I was just there not too long ago and things just aren't the same. They need to put the politicians in jail instead.

 

[Frozenguy]

3000 people a day? He had 440lb on him on multiple occasions?
10mil should be doable if he was/is smart. Sucks, but it shouldn't be the end of the world at all for him/her

 

[ijimunot]

From what I found is this happened in 2008. But Checkpoint had an average of a two hour wait with a line of 200-300 people. Best quality in the area with prices of 6-14 euros a gram. So if they had three thousand people a day say 7 grams each= 21000 grams a day. Say average 10 euro a gram= 210,000 euros a day. 210,000 for 47 pounds a day or $281,223 US I could eat well.

 

[BiG H3rB Tr3E]

From what I found is this happened in 2008. But Checkpoint had an average of a two hour wait with a line of 200-300 people. Best quality in the area with prices of 6-14 euros a gram. So if they had three thousand people a day say 7 grams each= 21000 grams a day. Say average 10 euro a gram= 210,000 euros a day. 210,000 for 47 pounds a day or $281,223 US I could eat well.

i thought you couldnt buy more than 5 grams at a time?

 

[Lifebreather]

The courts made it that high because they did the math, like ijimunot, and decided they wanted their cut. Anyone think they'll have a problem paying it?

On another note, if they are paying that much...they shouldn't be in jail or in any other trouble for that matter...

 

[ijimunot]

i have never been there. Just using a quarter z off the top of my head. From what Ive read most Checkpoint customers were from France and Belgium. If I were French and spent the day driving or on the train and crossed two borders I don't think a few joints would do me. Check out the Amsterdam coffeeshop directory. Some neat info to be had.

 

[spearzy]

if he had 10 million euros why would he need to run a buisness and take risks should have took the money and run lol