Suspected Colombian drug dealer ‘Sodapuppy’ extradited to the Netherlands after record methamphetamine bust

The Public Prosecution Service in The Hague reported on Friday that Colombian Paul Hoyos Bohórquez was arrested by officers of the Dutch gendarmerie.

The 44-year-old suspected drug lord was described by prosecutors as a “key player in an international drug trafficking and money laundering operation”.

Sodapuppy was arrested on July 18 at the request of the Netherlands in the Colombian city of Tuluá.

He is accused of producing the synthetic drug crystal meth on a large scale in the Netherlands on behalf of Mexican gangs and of smuggling cocaine from South America to Europe.

He is also said to have smuggled approximately €20 million ($22 million) in illegal proceeds from the Netherlands to Mexico and Colombia.

He is due to appear before the examining magistrate on Monday.

According to news agency ANP, the Public Prosecution Service aims to have the alleged Colombian drug lord and twelve other suspects brought to trial later this year.

‘Sodapuppy’ is linked by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service to the seizure of 2.5 tons of methamphetamine in 2019 in Rotterdam.

Authorities in several countries worked together to capture Bohórquez. The arrest of Bohórquez was a top priority for international law enforcement agencies last year, as he is seen as a key figure in the activities of Mexican cartels in the Netherlands and Europe.

Bohórquez is alleged to have coordinated the production of cocaine and methamphetamine in the Netherlands on behalf of Mexican drug cartels.

He is also linked to the import of large quantities of cocaine and several drug labs in the Netherlands.

He was held pending extradition to the Netherlands, where he is also suspected of laundering large sums of money. A total of €20 million is linked to him from the Netherlands to Mexico and Colombia.

The extensive investigation has led to the dismantling of several drug labs in Europe and the arrest of more than 50 suspects.

Colombia has sent three investigators to Europe to work on the case with Europol and their colleagues in EU member states.

As part of the Dutch investigation, at least four people were arrested in 2020, including a 39-year-old woman and three men aged 30 to 33.

The 2.5 tons of crystal meth were found during a raid on the Schiebroek industrial estate in Rotterdam. The substance appeared to be hidden behind a double wall in a hidden space.

It is the largest seizure of this drug ever in Europe.

At another location in De Meern, near Utrecht, over 17,000 litres of chemicals were seized. The police suspect that these chemicals were used to make cocaine from cocaine paste.

Europol announced that through its work on decrypting encrypted criminal communications it had gathered intelligence on Mexican and Colombian drug trafficking organisations operating in Europe.

Until then, these various criminal networks had been able to operate largely under the radar of law enforcement.

“Europol’s analysis helped identify key targets in Europe and Latin America, in addition to cocaine and methamphetamine production facilities across Europe,” the agency revealed.

“Europol organised a number of coordination meetings to bring together all the countries involved and develop a joint strategy to take down these networks.”

During the investigation, several drug labs were dismantled in Europe and more than 50 suspects were arrested.

“The Colombian suspect was on the run and law enforcement authorities around the world worked together to locate him and bring him to justice,” Europol said.

“We sent one of our experts to Colombia and funded the deployment of a Dutch investigator to assist national authorities with his arrest. Colombia also sent three investigators to Europol headquarters to work with Europol and their counterparts in EU member states on this case.”