Dutch jail 11 in ‘torture container’ case

A Dutch court sentenced 11 defendants to one to nine years in prison for running a “underworld prison” with a torture chamber hidden in shipping containers in a case that rocked the Netherlands,

The case involved seven containers discovered by police in a southern Dutch forest almost two years ago after they received information from a massive hack of the EncroChat encrypted phone system, which is used by criminal organizations across Europe.

During a police raid, one of the containers was found kitted out with a dentist’s chair, along with gruesome equipment including pruning shears, a saw, scalpels and pliers. The other six containers were set up to be prison cells.

“The court found that the suspects all contributed to a plan to kidnap, ransom, blackmail, torture, and kill criminal opponents or their relatives,” the Amsterdam District Court said in a statement.

“The men formed a group based on a fight over money in the criminal world and planned to take the law into their own hands.”

“The lack of respect for the personal freedom and integrity of others is shocking,” the court added.

Dutch media named the chief suspect as Roger P., 50, who is known by his underworld name as “Piet Costa” — allegedly because he often traveled to Costa Rica.

Costa, who has already been sentenced to 15 years behind bars last month for cocaine trafficking, was handed an additional 33-month sentence.

Judges sentenced his 40-year-old right-hand man to eight years. Nine others were also sentenced and one man was acquitted.

After hacking the EncroChat encrypted system in 2020, Dutch police uncovered the prison complex, and courts concluded that evidence obtained from the system was acceptable in court.

“We must have enough belts and tie-wraps to tie them,” the thieves said in EncroChat chat messages, adding “we need cutting pliers for fingers and toes.”