New arrests in the large-scale Themis investigation
On Friday November 5, 2021, by order of the Prosecutor in Curaçao, the 36-year-old female L.E.L. and the 60-year-old male G.A.R.P. were arrested in the large-scale investigation known as Themis. Both are suspected of being part of a criminal organization and of having been involved in laundering criminally obtained assets for that same organization. Both suspects were taken into custody and interrogated several times. They were released on Sunday, November 7, 2021.
L.E.L. and G.A.R.P. first came into the picture last year after the financial investigation against previously arrested suspects revealed that they had probably facilitated the laundering of criminal assets through their Curaçao companies. L.E.L. and G.A.R.P. are both directors of their own real estate company in Curacao. Among other things, they are suspected of having used their companies in concealing the organization's criminal assets. Given the intensity of the cooperation, they are also suspected of not only having acted as facilitators for the organization, but of actually being part of the criminal organization.
The arrests of L.E.L. and G.A.R.P. are part of the financial investigation that is taking place within Themis. The aim is to trace and eventually confiscate assets obtained by the commission of criminal acts. Since the start of the investigation, assets have been seized in several countries. Valuables have been seized in Curacao, the Netherlands, and Great Britain.In total there are two houses, three plots of land, six vehicles, various valuables such as diamonds and expensive watches and a large amount of cash. The total amount of seized assets is around NAf 2,700,000.00.
Themis is the investigation into criminal offences committed in recent years in the various countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and abroad. A special investigation team was created for this purpose, consisting of members of the police forces of Sint Maarten, Curaçao, Aruba and the Recherche Samenwerkingsteam (RST). This investigative team is headed by the Public Prosecutor of Sint Maarten as well as the Public Prosecutor of Curaçao. Earlier arrests in this investigation were carried out in November 2020 and in February 2021.