WILLEMSTAD – A new pretrial hearing was held yesterday in the major drug case known as “Heelal,” in which seven men are accused of transporting large shipments of cocaine. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the men allegedly worked together with four radar analysts from the Coast Guard. The charges relate to drug transports carried out between 2019 and 2021.
Defense attorneys requested the suspension of their clients’ pretrial detention, noting that the men have been in custody for nearly a year without the case being substantively addressed. Prosecutors opposed the request, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the risk of flight.
The judge will rule on the suspension request on September 23. The substantive trial is scheduled to begin in November.