Surinamese man arrested on human trafficking and drug trafficking charges

A Surinamese national, Hendrik Gino Dasman, was arrested in Argentina on human trafficking and drug trafficking charges. The 37-yearold man is being considered the mastermind of a crime network that turned young women into drug mules before sending them to Europe. A week ago one of his victims, 19-year-old Meriam Da Silva, was found dead in a street gutter. The Brazilian woman died when 2 of the 80 drug pellets burst in her stomach. Security footage shows Dasman dragging the helpless teenager out of his car and dumping her in a street gutter before fleeing the scene. Dasman and his 35-year-old Dominican girlfriend were arrested after the victim’s younger sister had given an incriminating statement to the police. The girl told investigators that she and her sister went to a hotel where Dasman was waiting for them. The girl’s sister had agreed to swallow and smuggle cocaine pellets. But some time after the teenager had swallowed the cocaine pellets she started to feel unwell. The suspect was supposed to bring both girls to the hospital but he pulled over near a local clinic. The girl died after the suspect had dumped her alongside the street. The police eventually raided the suspect’s home and found a huge sum of American dollars. Dasman has reportedly opted to remain silent and is reluctant to cooperate with the investigators. In 2011 Dasman had reportedly been sentenced to 4.5 years in prison after he was found guilty of trying to send his then girlfriend who is a well-known model in Argentina to Europe with 100 cocaine pellets in her stomach. When he got out of prison Dasman did not return to Suriname but opted to stay in Argentina.