Aruba Cooperating with American, Dutch, Antillean Governments on Drugs … What About Missing People and Crimes Against Tourists?

Another war on drug report from Aruba and “One Happy Island” and its continued drug smuggling and its related money laundering practices and criminal violence. Why is it that Aruba will supposedly cooperate with American, Dutch and Antillean governments when it comes to the “war of drugs” and money laundering but not when it comes to missing persons and crimes against tourists like in the case of Natalee Holloway?

According to American justice, drug smuggling and its related money laundering practices and criminal violence continue to be a threat for Aruba and the Neth.Antilles.

Extending the Judicial cooperation between the American, Dutch, Antillean, and Aruban governments can contribute to lowering that threat on the islands and also to a broader joint fight against the drug criminality in the Caribbean.

Man Sentenced in Aruba for Money Laundering 300,000 euros in Drug Money, Verdict is of Great Importance … Surely you Jest

Aruba more and more important as transshipment location for drugs (Amigoe: 3/5/08)

A huge amount of cocaine was intercepted on sea in February of 2007.  One huge catch can influence the statistics, but is not necessarily an indication for a certain tendency.

ORANJESTAD – Aruba functions to an increasing extent as a transshipment location for drugs that find their way via airplane or cruise ship to the United States and to a smaller extent, to Europe, states the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report for 2007 of the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the American State Department that was published last Saturday.  

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Natalee Holloway: American Authorities Help Arrest Aruban Suspect, Too Bad We Can’t Say the Same About Help From Aruba

Aruba … this is a hint as to how people are supposed to act when crimes are committed.

American authorities are being praised by Aruban public prosecutor (OM), Hans Mos, for their part in notifying Aruba that they had arrested an individual who is suspected of embezzling money in Aruba. I am glad America could help Aruba fight crime. Its too bad that we could not say the same regarding Aruban authorities actions in fight crime against Americans while in Aruba.

American authorities tipped the OM when the suspect traveled to the US last Thursday.  “We issued a request for provisional arrest, which took place on Saturday”, said chief district attorney Hans Mos, who is very pleased with the good cooperation with the American authorities.

Hans Mos, who is very pleased with the good cooperation with the American authorities.

So Aruba … WHERE IS YOUR RECIPROCAL HELP!!! Imagine when we had arrested M.M.F in Miami if we said, go wait in the Hard Rock Cafe and wait for us to give you your suspect. Or we provided an elaborate cover up for this embezzlers and just let the individual go with contacting Aruba or caring what they had done or crime committed in your country.

Instead in Aruba, officials cover up a crime against Natalee Holloway while Joran Van der Sloot walks free and just hope and pray that their tourism comes back in time without providing justice for Natalee.

Suspect multi-million fraud at National Lab arrested (Amigoe; 3/3/08)

ORANJESTAD – Upon request of the Aruban Public Prosecutor (OM), the American authorities have arrested a 53-year old man, who is suspected of embezzling 5 million florins at the National Lab, where he used to work.  The arrest took place in Miami last Saturday.

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Natalee Holloway: Gang Members Get Arrested in Aruba for Attempted Murder but no Prosecution for Joran Van der Sloot

WHAT MESSAGE IS ARUBA SENDING TO TOURISTS REGARDING JUSTICE?

Even in a gang related attempted murder case in Aruba the judges give light sentences to convicted individuals. The Aruban Public Prosecutor had requested 10 and 6 years of jail time for the attempted murder; however, the judge only gave 8 years and 18 months. More interesting was the statement from the judge regarding sending a message that this type of behavior is not to be accepted or tolerated in Aruba.

The judge is of the opinion that the community must get a clear signal that a shooting between rival gangs on broad daylight, cannot be tolerated. 

I guess the judges feel other crimes in Aruba are okay and should be tolerated. Especially, when the suspects are fellow friends of judges.

So what is the message that Aruba is sending tourists in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and lack of investigation and prosecution of Joran Van der Sloot? So by not prosecuting someone like Joran Van der Sloot who is an obvious and admitted suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, does that mean that Aruban justice system is sending a “clear signal” that crimes against tourist are tolerated and will go unpunished. That should be a clear message to tourists.

Eight years jail for Macuarima shooting  (Amigoe: 2/25/08)

ORANJESTAD – The two Macuarima-shooting suspects E.J. Lo-A-Njoe and E.J. Thiel are respectively convicted to 8 years and 18 months jail.  The Public Prosecutor (OM) demanded 10 and 6 years jail and is considering appealing the verdict. 

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Aruban Prosecutor’s Investigate Joran Van der Sloot Confession from Peter R. De Vries

Could the new information from Dutch crime investigator Peter R. De Vries open the way for potential new arrests in the Natalee Holloway case?  Many have long thought it was only a matter of time before Joran Van der Sloot or the Kalpoe brothers opened their mouths and started bragging. A narcissist can never control themselves. They can never keep quiet or keep the focus off of what they have done.

Sources in judicial circles told the Amigoe that the recording ‘is definitely not made in Aruba’. But in the Netherlands.  The next 48 hours will determine whether there will be arrests again for example.  There were emergency talks yesterday between the Justice-minister, the Prime Minister, the Chief of Police, and the OM-top.

OM Aruba investigates ‘Joran’s confession’  (Amigoe 2/1/08)

Part of a conversation between Peter R. de Vries and chief district attorney Hans Mos about the alleged confession of Joran van der Sloot, as could be read on the site Vkmag.com.  The part of De Vries on the site was removed later.  Vkmag.com got hold of a screen illustration and put it online.

WILLEMSTAD/ORANJESTAD – Justice and the police in Aruba are investigating ‘new indications’ that may give more clarity on the way the American teenager Natalee Holloway had ‘died in May of 2005 and how her body was disposed off’.   

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This is good for Tourism? Inflation in Aruba at Historic Levels … “Aruba is also Becoming too Expensive”

“Aruba is also becoming too expensive.”

It appears that Aruba is handling their inflation as well as they handled the Natalee Holloway investigation.

Are the tourism powers that be in Aruba going to sit back and tell us this is good for their tourism and that its flourishing? Maybe some one would like to inform tourism and government officials of simple economics. Aruba is experiencing double digit inflation. Who who be their next Prime Minister, Jimmy Carter?

Why would a traveler want to go some where that is more expensive than comparable locations? Thus, the only incentive that Aruba tourism has is to lower their prices. Thus, when they say they have an increase in tourism is it really a financial increase? When you increase tourism by 8% but have to slash your prices by 30%, is there really a profit?

From the figures of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) it appears that the inflation in 2007 has reached a historic record of 10.2 percent in December; was 8.6 percent in November. 

“The 6-percent difference between the 4.2 percent inflation of our most important business-partner the United States and the unprecedented high inflation of 10.2 percent of Aruba shows that the bbo has drastically influenced the price increase in Aruba.”

Inflation reaches historic record, (Amigoe, January 23, 2008)

ORANJESTAD – From the figures of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) it appears that the inflation in 2007 has reached a historic record of 10.2 percent in December; was 8.6 percent in November.   

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