Dutch customs officers released on bail amid corruption and cocaine‑import probe

Three customs officials in the Rotterdam area – two from Rotterdam (ages 26 and 45) and one from Capelle aan den IJssel (age 41) – were arrested in April on suspicion of bribery, breach of official secrecy, computer intrusion and facilitating cocaine imports through Dutch ports. The investigation, initiated after a police intelligence tip, involved the Combiteam Havens (police, FIOD, Rijksrecherche and the Public Prosecutor) and used undercover agents and phone‑tapping. On 1 July the Rotterdam court decided the suspects could await trial in freedom, citing their clean criminal records and insufficient grounds for continued detention. The allegations remain, and the men have been placed on non‑active status by their employer while the case proceeds.

The court noted that conversations with the undercover operative suggested a “three‑person unit seeking profit from insider information.” Defence lawyers criticised the length of the investigation and the psychological impact of the undercover operation, with one suspect reporting post‑traumatic stress disorder.