Latest news with #DutchPublicProsecutionService
Sunday World
24-07-2025
- Sunday World
Drug lord and Kinahan ally jailed for six years over cocaine trafficking
Mink Kok, known as 'The Thinker' was originally arrested in Lebanon in 2022. Mink Kok, Dutch associate of Christy Kinahan Snr, has been jailed for six years by a court in The Hague over the importation of cocaine. Dutch media reports that the drug lord appealled the decision after the Dutch Public Prosecution Service originally sought to put him away in prison for nine years. The appeal resulted in his acquittal of the 'actual importation' of the drugs in question. Kok, however, was found guilty of preparing for the import of 400 kilos of cocaine, alongside the possession of cocaine, as well as preparing a drug lab. Known commonly 'The Thinker', he was arrested in Lebanon in 2022 with his son-in-law, where he stayed for a year. Christy Kinahan Snr Up to February 2016, he had been behind bars in the Middle-East country after a conviction for possession of 53 kilos of cocaine. The convicted kingpin has previously been labelled 'boss of the cocaine world' and is known for having a 'long history' in the criminal underworld. The 400-kilo consignment of cocaine for which Kok was convicted had arrived in 2020 via the port of Antwerp in a consignment of bananas. However, the shipment was somehow mislaid and was eventually found at a supermarket in Remscheid, Germany. The convicted drug trafficker and gun runner had struck up a close working relationship with Christy Kinahan Snr when they were both based in Amsterdam in the 1990s. Veteran Dutch drug lord, Mink Kok News in 90 Seconds - July 24th It is believed the pair worked together to import millions of euro worth of cocaine and ecstasy into Ireland and the UK. Kok's son-in-law, named only as Najim Z, is also accused by the Public Prosecution Service of being behind the importation from South America of two batches of 750 and 840 kilos of cocaine. These were intercepted in 2021 in the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. According to the justice officials, evidence against Kok stems from intercepted Sky ECC messages. There was no Sky telephone found with Kok when he was arrested, but detectives say that the investigation against Kok started after he admitted to a TV programme that he used Sky telephones to communicate with others. His lawyer previously denied that Kok was the user of the two Sky phones attributed to him. His son-in-law Najim Z (42) was previously sentenced for those two coke shipments in a separate case. He was handed down an eight-year prison sentence minus time spent in pre-detention and a detention period in Lebanon. However, prosecutors have demanded another 12 years in prison against him two weeks ago in the case which is completely separate from that of Kok's. Various media have referred to Najim Z based on various judicial or police sources as a 'leader' in Ridouan Taghi's network. Dutch-Moroccan Taghi is regarded as one of Europe's biggest drugs traffickers and is a key associate of the Kinahan Cartel. He was one of a number of high-profile criminals who were guests at Daniel Kinahan's wedding in Dubai in 2017. Along with a number of his associates, Taghi is currently facing multiple charges ranging from assassinations, attempted killings, and murder plots. Lawyers for Najim Z have previously contested that their client should be considered as 'the financial man' in Taghi's drug network.
Sunday World
06-06-2025
- Sunday World
Prosecutors demand nine year sentence for Kinahan associate drug lord Mink Kok
The 63-year-old is trying to overturn a 2023 drug smuggling conviction Prosecutors in the Netherlands have demanded Kinahan associate and drug lord Mink Kok receive a nine-year prison sentence for his role in smuggling drugs into the country. It comes as the 63-year-old appealed his conviction at the court of appeal at The Hague on Wednesday. He was handed down a six-year sentence in June 2023 after he was found guilty for his role in smuggling 400 kilos of cocaine into the Netherlands in a shipment of bananas. The consignment arrived in 2020 via the port of Antwerp but was somehow mislaid and was eventually found at a supermarket in Remscheid, Germany. De Telegraaf reported that the court saw sufficient evidence for a conviction based on intercepted messages on the Sky ECC server. His lawyer, Mark Teurlings, has pleaded for his client to be acquitted. He claims that there is insufficient evidence to prove that the encrypted text messages were sent by Kok. He also claimed that the link between Kok and the banana shipment is 'factually and substantively untenable.' Mink Kok News in 90 Seconds - 6th June 2025 The hearing will continue next Wednesday. According to De Telegraaf 'the [encrypted] messages discuss, among other things, amounts of money and order lists.' 'In its ruling, the court refers to raw materials and chemicals and blocks of cocaine and cocaine base, payments and locations and required personnel (cooks). "He had a leading and coordinating role," the court said. 'In addition, he had a leading role in setting up what appears to be a large-scale drug lab, given the amounts paid and quantities of chemicals purchased.' The Dutch Public Prosecution Service had previously demanded nine years in prison for Kok but the sentence was lowered as there was insufficient evidence that he also had another batch of drugs in his possession. The convicted drug trafficker and gun runner, one of the most infamous gangland criminals in Dutch history, had struck up a close working relationship with Christy Kinahan Snr when they were both based in Amsterdam in the 1990s. It is believed the pair worked together to import millions of euro worth of cocaine and ecstasy into Ireland and the UK. Kok's son-in-law, named only as Najim Z is also accused by the Public Prosecution Service of being behind the importation from South America of two batches of 750 and 840 kilos of cocaine. These were intercepted in 2021 in the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. Najim Z (42) was previously sentenced for those two coke shipments in a separate case. He was handed down an eight-year prison sentence minus time spent in pre-detention and a detention period in Lebanon. However, prosecutors have demanded another 12 years in prison against him two weeks ago in the case which is completely separate from that of Kok's. According to the justice officials, evidence against Kok stems from intercepted Sky ECC messages. Justice officials say they can prove that there was intensive contact between Sky phones that are attributed to Z and Mink Kok, who were both arrested in Lebanon at the end of March 2022. There was no Sky telephone found with Kok when he was arrested, but detectives say that the investigation against Kok started after he admitted to a TV programme that he used Sky telephones to communicate with others. His lawyer previously denied that Kok was the user of the two Sky phones attributed to him. 'In the messages we clearly read that the user of the telephone would be in the Netherlands, even in Amsterdam,' Teurlings has been quoted as saying. 'So the user could never have been Kok because he was in Lebanon at the time.' Various media have referred to Najim Z based on various judicial or police sources as a 'leader' in Ridouan Taghi's network. Dutch-Moroccan Taghi is regarded as one of Europe's biggest drugs traffickers and is a key associate of the Kinahan Cartel. He was one of a number of high-profile criminals who were guests at Daniel Kinahan's wedding in Dubai in 2017. Along with a number of his associates, Taghi is currently facing multiple charges ranging from assassinations, attempted killings and murder plots. Lawyers for Z have previously contested that their client should be considered as 'the financial man' in Taghi's drug network, as the Public Prosecutor believes.
Arabian Post
29-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Morgan Stanley Rejects Dutch Tax Evasion Claims
Morgan Stanley has firmly denied accusations from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service alleging the financial giant evaded tax on dividends worth nearly $1 billion more than ten years ago. The dispute centres on complex tax structures employed by the bank that Dutch authorities contend were designed to avoid paying the appropriate tax on substantial dividend income. Dutch prosecutors assert that the investment bank engaged in schemes dating back to the early 2010s to shelter dividend earnings from taxation in the Netherlands. The case focuses on transactions routed through multiple subsidiaries in various jurisdictions, including the Netherlands and Luxembourg, which allegedly facilitated aggressive tax avoidance. Authorities argue this deprived the Dutch treasury of hundreds of millions in revenue. However, Morgan Stanley insists all tax planning adhered strictly to local laws and international tax treaties, and that any dividends received were correctly reported and taxed in compliance with regulations. The bank's legal team describes the allegations as unfounded, emphasising that the dividend structures in question were part of legitimate financial arrangements utilised widely in the industry during the period under review. Morgan Stanley highlights that similar structures have been scrutinised by tax authorities across Europe, often resulting in disputes but also numerous rulings affirming their legality when applied transparently and within the framework of existing laws. ADVERTISEMENT This case emerges amid growing scrutiny by European tax authorities over multinational corporations' use of intricate financial arrangements to minimise tax liabilities. Governments across the continent have intensified efforts to clamp down on perceived tax avoidance schemes, adopting stricter regulations and seeking to recover revenues from earlier years. The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has increasingly targeted financial institutions and large companies suspected of employing aggressive tax strategies, making Morgan Stanley's situation part of a broader enforcement trend. At the heart of the dispute is the interpretation of Dutch tax rules governing dividend withholding taxes and the application of international treaties intended to prevent double taxation. Prosecutors allege that Morgan Stanley's structures artificially reduced withholding tax obligations by exploiting mismatches between different countries' tax systems. The bank, however, argues these mechanisms reflected legitimate treaty benefits designed to avoid taxing the same income multiple times across borders, a standard practice in international finance. Legal experts point out that cases involving alleged tax evasion or avoidance by multinational banks are often complex, hinging on fine distinctions between lawful tax planning and illicit evasion. Courts must consider whether transactions have genuine economic substance or serve primarily to obtain tax advantages without corresponding business purpose. Morgan Stanley's defence underscores the presence of legitimate business rationale behind the dividend arrangements, including the efficient management of capital and investor returns, which challenges the prosecutors' claims. The proceedings have attracted attention from industry observers and tax specialists who note that the outcome could influence future tax enforcement strategies. Given the substantial sums involved and the prominence of the parties, the case is likely to set a precedent in how tax authorities tackle dividend-related tax disputes in the financial sector. The situation also reflects ongoing tensions between governments' efforts to secure tax revenues and corporations' rights to structure their affairs in tax-efficient ways under the law. Morgan Stanley operates as one of the world's leading investment banks, with extensive international operations that often necessitate complex financial and tax arrangements. The institution maintains a strong commitment to compliance and corporate governance, asserting that its policies meet or exceed regulatory standards globally. The bank's response to the allegations emphasises transparency and cooperation with tax authorities to resolve the matter through legal channels. ADVERTISEMENT While the Dutch case targets transactions from over a decade ago, it resonates with broader global trends in tax regulation. Countries are increasingly collaborating to close loopholes and enforce tax transparency, supported by initiatives such as the OECD's Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project and the implementation of stricter reporting requirements. This evolving landscape poses challenges for multinational corporations that must navigate a patchwork of national laws and international agreements. Morgan Stanley's legal defence highlights that the dividend payments at issue were subjected to appropriate taxation in other jurisdictions, thus complicating claims of outright evasion. The bank notes that the complexity of cross-border tax rules often leads to differing interpretations between taxpayers and authorities, which can only be resolved through judicial or administrative review. The institution remains confident that the facts will support its position once all evidence is thoroughly examined. The Dutch Public Prosecution Service, which spearheaded the investigation, has intensified its approach towards large-scale tax cases, signalling a willingness to pursue aggressive enforcement to deter corporate tax avoidance. The allegations against Morgan Stanley form part of a series of cases targeting financial institutions that allegedly structured their operations to reduce tax bills. Authorities have emphasised that pursuing these cases is essential to uphold the integrity of the tax system and ensure a level playing field for all taxpayers. Morgan Stanley's challenge to the allegations includes detailed legal arguments about the interpretation of tax treaties and domestic tax laws. The bank contends that it fully complied with disclosure and reporting obligations and that any tax benefits received were legitimate under existing rules. The defence also points to rulings from tax courts in other countries that have upheld similar structures, suggesting a degree of legal uncertainty that complicates prosecutors' claims. The case is expected to proceed through the Dutch judicial system, with possible appeals and negotiations that could extend over several years. The financial sector closely watches developments, recognising the case's implications for tax risk management and compliance strategies. Morgan Stanley's insistence on its innocence highlights the broader debate around the balance between tax optimisation and the boundaries of lawful conduct.
Bloomberg
29-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Morgan Stanley Denies Dutch Prosecutor's Tax Evasion Allegations
Morgan Stanley denied allegations by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service that it evaded tax on almost $1 billion worth of dividends more than a decade ago. According to the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, an Amsterdam-based subsidiary of a foreign bank filed five corporation tax returns between 2009 and 2013. The returns offset €124 million ($140 million) in tax relating to a total of €825 million in dividends paid on listed Dutch shares, the public prosecution service said in a statement Wednesday without identifying the bank. The prosecutor holds the European parent company and an employee involved at the time responsible.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Morgan Stanley says it will contest Dutch dividend tax evasion probe
THE HAGUE (Reuters) -Morgan Stanley said on Wednesday it will contest a Dutch public prosecutor's investigation into tax evasion related to dividends on Dutch shares. The Dutch public prosecution service said on Wednesday it would subpoena a foreign bank on suspicion of dividend tax evasion. It said that between 2009 and 2013, a subsidiary of a foreign bank based in Amsterdam submitted five corporate tax returns in which a total of 124 million euros in withholding tax was offset, related to 825 million euros in dividends that were distributed on Dutch listed shares. "Following an is suspicion that the subsidiary has unlawfully offset the withholding tax and is therefore suspected of tax evasion," the Dutch Public Prosecution Service said, adding it was also holding the European parent company responsible. The prosecutor did not specify the foreign bank being investigated, but a source close to the investigation said the probe concerns Morgan Stanley. Asked about the report, a spokesperson for Morgan Stanley said the bank was aware of the probe and would defend its case. "Morgan Stanley rejects the Prosecutor's allegations about this complex, decade-old matter and intends to contest them vigorously," the bank said. "Despite our full cooperation and the lack of clarity in the relevant tax legislation, the Prosecutor is basing this decision on an incomplete investigation and record, in violation of established process." Morgan Stanley offers a full range of banking services in the Netherlands since the opening of its Amsterdam office in 1997. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
