'Godmother of Amsterdam' arrested in Colombia, rocket launcher and weapons seized
January 30, 2024
Police in Rotterdam found a large quantity of heavy firearms on Monday morning, including a rocket launcher that was ready for use. Six suspects have been arrested in connection with this. A woman who headed the alleged crime organization has been arrested in Colombia. She is nicknamed the 'Godmother of Amsterdam'. It is said to be the previously convicted Aura C.
The discovery stems from an investigation conducted in collaboration with the countries Colombia and Spain, based on intercepted and decrypted messages on the crypto platform Sky ECC. With this information, investigators were able to conclude that a 47-year-old woman with a Dutch/Colombian nationality was involved in drug trafficking from South America.
The woman was probably directly involved in the import of an intercepted shipment of 230 kilos of cocaine into Spain. In the criminal environment she is described as a major player in the cocaine trade who earns a lot of money from it. She would also be called the 'godmother of Amsterdam', the police said in a message on Tuesday, in which they reported this action. In 2017, the woman was convicted of preparing drug smuggling, according to the police.
After a few months of intensive detective work, the police had enough information to arrest and search properties on Monday. On Monday, January 29, the 47-year-old woman was arrested in Colombia at the request of the Dutch authorities. Where a house search was also carried out.
In the Netherlands, five suspects were arrested in Amsterdam, Zoetermeer, Schiedam and Ridderkerk. This concerns one woman and four men aged 29 to 62 with Dutch and Nigerian nationality. A number of these arrests were made by the Special Interventions Service and the Team Parate Unit from Rotterdam.
In total, the police seized more than 25 firearms and associated ammunition. Just like kilos of cocaine, more than 400,000 euros in cash, cars, jewelry and data carriers.
The men will be brought before the examining magistrate in Rotterdam on February 1, 2024.
The newspaper Het Parool reports that the woman is probably Aura C. , one of the broker sisters from Amsterdam who were convicted in 2017 for large-scale cocaine trafficking. The sisters were then given 4.5 years and almost 3.5 years in prison. They are said to have controlled a drug organization and provided housing through their real estate company Key Apartments. Aura C. was previously also imprisoned in Colombia for drug trafficking.
