Father’s drug trade funded career of top showjumper
A TOP showjumper wept in court as her father was jailed for smuggling drugs in order to help fund her career.
Marinus Van Gerwen was caught with £4million of cocaine stashed in a horsebox as he drove into Britain.
He is suspected of making several trips from the Netherlands to Britain with cocaine hidden in his horse transporter.
Jody Van Gerwen, 27, had no idea her devoted father was using drug trade profits to fund her glittering career.
In July last year, he arrived at Dover docks in Kent with drugs stashed in a secret compartment.
The Dutchman had two horses on board the huge van and hoped to be waved through.
But suspicious Border Control officials climbed inside and found 50 one-kilo blocks of cocaine inside a purpose-built hiding place in the wall of the vehicle.
Van Gerwen, 52, was arrested and police later raided his house in Limbricht, north of Masstricht in the Netherlands, where they seized £235,000 in euros.
The horse dealer and former showjumper claimed he had been forced to smuggle the class A drugs into the country.
But on Wednesday jurors at Canterbury Crown Court found him guilty and he was jailed for 17 years.
Van Gerwen, who runs his own stables and training centre, was cleared of a similar charge at Reading Crown Court 18 months ago.
However, British police held on to the £236,000 it seized from the smuggler when he failed to explain its origin.
International showjumper Miss Van Gerwen attended her father’s trial at Canterbury every day and gave evidence on his behalf.
Judge Rupert Lowe said she had no clue about his smuggling operation. “I don’t imagine for a moment that he let her know what he was doing. She has been an innocent victim and she will suffer for this.”
Judge Lowe told Van Gerwen he had used his horse business as a cover for the smuggling operation, expecting to get substantial sums of money as a courier.
“This trial took place against a background of the very successful career of your daughter Jody as an international showjumper,” the judge said.
“That is an extremely expensive occupation, notwithstanding the sponsorship and prize money and the returns of your riding school and horse-trading business. I am confident that at least part of the motivation for you becoming involved was to further the cause of her very expensive career at the highest level.”
After the hearing Darren Herbert, senior investigating officer at the National Crime Agency, said: “The organised criminals involved in the distribution of cocaine are often also linked to violence and exploitation.
“They rely heavily on smugglers like Van Gerwen, so his was a key role in a longer, damaging chain.
“We work closely with partners overseas and our Border Force colleagues to target those who seek to undermine the security of the UK border, and bring them to justice.”
Paul Morgan, director of Border Force South East and Europe, added: “This was a sophisticated concealment and demonstrates that Border Force officers and our law enforcement partners need to remain vigilant at all times to prevent illegal importations through the border.”
Miss Van Gerwen has competed several times for her country and climbed to eighth in the world rankings. Her father and mother were both accomplished showjumpers.
‘Jody has been an innocent victim and will suffer for this’