Piet S. and Taxus: prosecutors sought 17 years and nine months on appeal
On 27 March 2026, Dutch prosecutors sought 17 years and nine months for Piet S., known as Dikke Piet and the Hague Godfather. They presented sentencing requests for eighteen people and eight companies in the Taxus appeal proceedings.
When presenting their sentencing request, prosecutors described Piet S. as the leader and central figure of a group allegedly involved in international drug trafficking for years. They said he was directly or indirectly involved in almost every shipment, including imports of 4,600 kilograms of cocaine from South America and more than 11,000 kilograms of hashish from Morocco. The Hague District Court had sentenced him to seventeen years in October 2023.
Relatives allegedly performed different tasks within the group. Prosecutors described his relative Simon as his right-hand man, responsible for a branch that included ecstasy production. They sought twelve years for Simon. Piet S.’s son Freddy was also alleged to be a member; prosecutors requested eight years for him.
The police investigation began in 2016. Arrests and searches followed in September 2020 at dozens of locations, including in the Netherlands, Spain and Belgium. According to NOS, investigators used undercover officers and decrypted EncroChat messages. Prosecutors alleged that a separate money-laundering branch concealed drug proceeds through companies and used them to finance property, expensive vehicles and watches. They sought fines of €25,000 to €100,000 for eight companies.
