ORANJESTAD – The sons of former-UPB deputy and Minister Carlos Marcera, Anthony and Carlos Marcera, were arrested on Aruba and Bonaire yesterday in connection to a large-scale investigation of the laundering of drug money and gold smuggling on the ABC-islands and in a few European countries, including The Netherlands, Belgium and Austria. During the investigation, the Justice Department also discovered a large-scaled smuggling of gold through Aruba and The Netherlands Antilles.
On Aruba four homes were searched including the house of Carlos Marcera in Seroe Pela, whereby documents, vehicles and gold were confiscated. On Bonaire, a total of eighteen buildings were searched, including eight homes, four government institutions and six businesses. Two arrests were made, one of them being Anthony Marcera. On Curaçao two homes and one business building were searched, which led to the arrest of Willem van Wijngaarde.
In the above mentioned European countries, fourteen locations were searched followed with the arrest of two people. Besides the arrests, various weapons, vehicles, a boat, a plane, valuable goods, a large sum of money and a quantity of gold were confiscated.
Gold smuggle
During the money laundering investigation, the large scale smuggling of gold through Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles became evident. This gold smuggling is connected to the arrest of an individual in the United States on the 27th of March this year. The arrested person is suspected of laundering a large sum of money coming from the large-scale trafficking of drugs (cocaine from Colombia). Within a short space of time, more than eight billion dollars was transferred to the account of the arrested suspect.
The investigation is in full force and will not be limited to the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba and Europe. More arrests and searches are not excluded, says the Public Prosecution’s Office of Curaçao.
During the money laundering investigation, the large scale smuggling of gold through Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles became evident. This gold smuggling is connected to the arrest of an individual in the United States on the 27th of March this year. The arrested person is suspected of laundering a large sum of money coming from the large-scale trafficking of drugs (cocaine from Colombia). Within a short space of time, more than eight billion dollars was transferred to the account of the arrested suspect. The investigation is in full force and will not be limited to the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba and Europe. More arrests and searches are not excluded, says the Public Prosecution’s Office of Curaçao.
News article taken from www.amigoe.com