She a neat short hairstyle and a pink blouse with a gray knit over it.
They look like any other North Jutland couple in the age of grandparents.
Four of their eight sons watch them from a distance. Listening to what their mom and dad have to say.
But they can’t talk to each other.
Because we are in the Court in Aalborg, where the married couple – a 56-year-old woman and a 62-year-old man – are accused of twice in 2023 having introduced respectively 12 and 11 kilos of cocaine from the Netherlands to sell the drugs on in Denmark.
Three of their sons have already been sentenced in the extensive case complex. Together, they will serve 30 years behind bars.
Pleads not guilty
Now the question is whether the parents were totally unaware of their sons’ drug crime, which they were involved in last year.
Because both the 56-year-old woman and her 62-year-old husband plead not guilty.
They were both arrested on October 6 last year and have been in custody since.
On October 4, 2023, the woman drove to the Netherlands with her youngest son, who was 14, and her 25-year-old son, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison earlier this year.
According to the prosecutor, it was to pick up kilos of cocaine. But the mother explained in court that she had no idea about the drugs.
– I have only been told that it was telephones. He (the 25-year-old son, ed.) had to bring home some phones. I have driven with him because his driver’s license, because he didn’t have a driver’s license at the time, she explained.
Case for phones
Next, prosecutor Kim Kristensen asked if she saw any phones.
– No, not at that time. I saw some phones at home at our address a few months later. There I saw two, she answered.
– Did you think he picked up more than two?
– Yes, I was absolutely sure of that, because he had a suitcase with him, said the woman.
– Did you see what was in it?
– No, because that didn’t occur to me, she replied.
But maybe she should have checked that. Because when the car with her behind the wheel rolled over the border two days later, the police found 11 kilos of cocaine hidden in a secret room.
Cocaine, which both she and her husband knew all about, according to the prosecutor, because the police tapped the couple’s phones when she was in the Netherlands.
Here in court you could hear her calling home to her husband, who is also a defendant in the case.
– We were around to pick up that… Some of the things that needed to be used, she said.
– Are you getting it loaded today or what, he asked.
Cocaine or energy drinks?
Later in the phone conversation, the couple began talking about the money they are to receive from their 25-year-old son.
– How much does that turn usually give when there are 12 pieces, asks the woman on the phone.
A piece is slang for a kilo of cocaine.
– 91,000, is the exact answer from the man.
– How much is it that we get, she says on the recording.
– He usually gets a little more, after all, he is the one who controls it.
– He says we get 25,000. It’s just a little enough, isn’t it, she says.
– I mean, it’s 35,000 we usually get when it’s 12 pieces, says the man.
Nevertheless, the woman maintained her explanation that they were only going to pick up phones.
– 12 pieces. Are they telephones, asked the prosecutor.
– No, it was energy drinks. I should buy that home, she replied.
– Should you give 91,000 kroner for 12 energy drinks, prosecutor Kim Kristensen asked, without getting an answer that made any sense.
Chicken and amphetamines in the freezer
The 56-year-old mother of eight was also questioned about the police findings in the couple’s home in Aars.
On the same day as the arrest, in addition to the 11 kilos of cocaine from the Netherlands, the police also found 298 grams of the substance and well over a kilo of amphetamine at the couple’s residence in Aars. The amphetamine was in the freezer in the garage, while the cocaine was in a wardrobe, where there was also a safe with DKK 38,050 in cash.
It got behind her, she told the court.
– I only used that cupboard for my elves, so I hadn’t looked in there since the year before, she said.
Nor did she think she knew anything about the drugs in the freezer in the garage.
– I didn’t open it very often. Maybe there was just some chicken – or if I had bought something on sale, she explained.
Is against drugs
Subsequently, her defender asked what her attitude towards drugs is.
– I am very much against it, because I have a son who has had an abuse that we have taken a lot of care of. We have been called at night when I have had to go between him and his girlfriend because he wanted to beat her when he took drugs, she said.
Here she also explained that in the police-intercepted telephone conversation with her husband, she had simply talked him down when the conversation turned to the payment for the trip to the Netherlands.
Later on Wednesday, the 62-year-old man will testify in court, while a verdict is expected in December.
2024-11-13 10:54:00
#Wiretapping #Netherlands #reveals #mother #father #talking #payment #Son #convicted #drug #trafficking
**Interview with Legal Expert on the Recent Aalborg Drug Case Involving a Couple and Their Son**
**Editor:** Today, we have with us Dr. Anna Sørensen, a legal expert specializing in drug-related crimes. Dr. Sørensen, thank you for joining us.
**Dr. Sørensen:** Thank you for having me.
**Editor:** We’re discussing a rather concerning case involving a couple from Aalborg who are accused of drug trafficking. They allegedly imported 12 and 11 kilos of cocaine from the Netherlands. What are your initial thoughts on the implications of this case?
**Dr. Sørensen:** It’s indeed a troubling situation, particularly because it not only involves the parents but also several of their children who have already been sentenced for similar crimes. The family dynamic in such cases complicates matters—both legally and emotionally.
**Editor:** The couple is pleading not guilty, claiming they had no knowledge of the drugs being transported. Do you think their defense could be credible?
**Dr. Sørensen:** The defense of ignorance can be challenging to navigate. While it’s possible they were misled, the prosecution’s evidence—particularly the intercepted phone calls—suggests a level of complicity. Their conversations indicate knowledge about the drug transactions. Claims that they were merely picking up phones weigh heavily against them.
**Editor:** Yes, there is disturbing evidence of phone conversations where they discussed drug money. How might that impact their case?
**Dr. Sørensen:** Such evidence is pivotal. It shows not just awareness but also a degree of involvement in the operation. The prosecution will likely use these recordings to argue that they were actively participating in their sons’ drug business. Their claim that they were only picking up phones seems weak under such scrutiny.
**Editor:** What about the implications for their family dynamic, particularly their children involved in the case?
**Dr. Sørensen:** This case emphasizes the tragic cycle of drug-related crimes within families. The parents may face significant prison time if convicted, which not only affects them but also their remaining children. The societal impacts are vast, affecting community safety and family welfare.
**Editor:** what can we learn from this case regarding drug laws in Denmark?
**Dr. Sørensen:** It highlights the need for stricter laws and preventive measures against drug trafficking. It also shows how deeply ingrained drug culture can penetrate families, making it essential for communities to provide support and education to mitigate such issues before they escalate.
**Editor:** Thank you, Dr. Sørensen, for your insights on this complex and troubling case.
**Dr. Sørensen:** Thank you for having me.