Natalee Holloway - Extended Thread 1

IMHO If any American travels to Aruba they must be crazy. Especially since their obvious disdain for us was revealed by that govt. official who stated, (in reference to a question about waiting so long to get evidence from van der Sloot's house) "you just can't rush in like a cowboy!" That was a direct "slap" at Americans and meant to be derrogatory. May their economy go down the tubes now.

I agree... This "cowgirl" will vacation and spend her money on American soil. Thanks for the good wishes on my family "party" today. The whole family is a blast - lots of laughs and goodtimes.

It is time for me to start moving around now that I am awake.

1,001 posted on 06/18/2005 6:25:12 AM PDT by stlnative

Interesting post and what struck me was that Curacao was a destination point for trafficing from Surinam. Are not the brothers who were arrested from Surinam? It would make sense of Nat was picked up to take to Venezuela or Colombia but maybe the traffiking is a two way street. Bring girls from Surinam in to Curacao and vice versa.

1,002 posted on 06/18/2005 6:27:41 AM PDT by cajungirl (no)

To: brigette; TexKat

http://www.tni.org/archives/tblick/aruba.htm

YOU HAVE TO GO READ THIS ARTICLE,,MIDWAY DOWN, IT IS VERY LONG, THERE IS AN ACCOUNT OF THE CROES FAMILY AND THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE MAFIA.

This article is a long read but is a detailed account of the Mafia and Aruba,,it is breathtaking to read.

1,003 posted on 06/18/2005 6:54:18 AM PDT by cajungirl (no)

The Intercon Financial Bank on Aruba is represented by the law-firm Croes & Wever. One of the partners is former Minister of Justice Hendrik Croes. The firm's trust-company Arulex was implicated in setting up the bank. ""Yes, we are involved with that bank"," says Croes. ""We still handle all their legal affairs, but we don't know anything of their financial accounts"." (70)

Hendrik Croes – a brother of the island's legendary leader, the late Betico Croes who guided Aruba to its semi-independent status in the Dutch realm – is one of the leading political figures on the island. He led several election campaigns for the MEP, now in the opposition. The Croes Family has been accused of ties with Cuntrera-Caruana. The Sicilian mafiosi payed for a trip of another brother, Rudy Croes (who succeeded Hendrik as Minister of Justice in a previous MEP government) as party secretary to a meeting of the Socialist International in Turkey. This has not been denied.

Paolo Cuntrera visited the island regularly despite his expulsion in 1988. The government opposed his legal actions for re-admittance. But Hendrik Croes has to admit the procedures were not stainless. A blundering government lawyer, an official who signed a residence permit 'by mistake', meant that "de facto" Paolo Cuntrera was able to circulate freely on the island.

According to Canadian police reports, in 1978, Pasquale Cuntrera owned the Holiday Inn Casino – although the registers indicated otherwise. ""At the start of 1980s the Cuntrera's were often at the Holiday Inn casino"," says a croupier. ""In 1989 they were there again, although they were ostensibly thrown of the island"."

DEA agent David Lorino, the case-officer in Operation Wiseguy, claims that ""when the Cuntrera's moved to Venezuela they carried some 15 to 30 million dollars with them, which were invested in hotels in Caracas, but also on Curaçao and Aruba"." 71 The DEA had used the Miami-based Italian-born Venezuelan business man Raffaele Bellizzi to contact Pasquale Cuntrera. Before 1983 Bellizzi owned a shipping-company, but that year it went bankrupt because of the debt-crises in Venezuela. ""He told us that his ships transported narcotics and money from Caracas to Aruba and Europe","says Lorino. As mentioned before Canadian investigations show that the clan used Aruba as a trampoline for cocaine to North America. (72)

According to Lorino, ""the names Cuntrera and Caruana were well known on the island"." Now nobody on Aruba wants to know that these gentle and well mannered Sicilians ever existed. ""Oh, but a lot of people knew them then","says Bianca de Mey, who set up the company "Investeringen Tweehonderd en Tien", which was the holding for a nightclub and pizzeria for the Cuntreras. The company now has nothing to do with them any more, she adds.

The Cuntrera's must have felt at home on Aruba. The island has been a smugglers' paradise, since colonial times, when it was used to evade the Spanish trade monopoly. Whatever disagreements Arubans may have – and they have a lot – this is something they readily admit. Even Prime Minister Eman acknowledges ""it is an island of smugglers ... For years Aruba was the most important coffee exporter, while there is no coffee-plant to be found on the island"." Aruba is also the biggest exporter of Philip Morris cigarettes and every imaginable kind of whisky. On Aruba it is all imported and exported according to the rules. What they do at the other side on the South American mainland is not the problem of the islanders. Legal trade or contraband, the difference is thin. ""A lot of families became very rich with this trade","says Eman. ""This went on for decades and it is an eh... accepted fact"."

Part of this long article. The ARend family were also money launderers. Apparently the Mafia owned the island and the criminal enterprise is incredible.

This article is a long but important read.

1,004 posted on 06/18/2005 7:00:48 AM PDT by cajungirl (no)

http://www.amigoe.com/english/aru_late_news.htm#Another%20search%20at%20Van%20der%20Sloot%E2%80%99s%20house

Saturday 18 June 2005

Another search at Van der Sloot’s house

ARUBA – Five police officers searched the home of Joran van der Sloot in Montana yesterday. According to police spokesman Papito Comencia, this search is a more technical one. In the course of the evening, the helicopter made another round above a few areas, while using special equipment for more technical search.

Aruban police officers together with FBI agents and the Dutch Forensic Institute did the house search. They confiscated two cars of the family and other things that might be of interest for the investigation, confirmed the OM. It took the agents of the Criminal Investigation Service four hours to do the search. The house in Montana was searched before, when Van der Sloot was arrested last week Thursday. That’s when they confiscated a computer and also other things. The 17-year old student has been locked up for a week in connection with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway on Mai 30th.

Meanwhile, a slander campaign against Aruba has started, in which the family Van der Sloot is being portrayed as a ‘completely disfunctional, morally bankrupt group of animals’. In this campaign, Joran is being linked up with the production of pornographic videos, the group raping of a 14 year old girl, and violent conduct against his classmates. According to the sender, a certain Dan Ferrill, Joran is extremely spoiled. Despite his young age, he drives a car with the consent of his parents; he is a regular visitor of the casinos and nightclubs. Ferrill also thought that he should spread the news that Van der Sloot Senior does his utmost to disturb the investigation of the police by distroying of pieces of evidence. Ferrill keeps mentioning that all his insinuations come from heard saying and that these are rumours, but he finishes his email with a call for boycotting Aruba.

1,005 posted on 06/18/2005 7:24:25 AM PDT by maggief

1,006 posted on 06/18/2005 7:30:28 AM PDT by MAWG (Diversity is where everyone looks different but thinks the same way.)

That my dear is why people in Alabama have received threats and all of the people in Aruba have that look on their faces anytime they are interviewed. We all knew that there was something bigger going on. Great find. Still typing with one hand. Try making IV's with a cast up past your elbow. It ain't fun.
TAW

1,007 posted on 06/18/2005 7:33:23 AM PDT by Malichi

I just finished reading the entire article and it was just gripping.

Even references to the Pizza Connection, Falcone in Italy and Natoli. The criminal enterprise of the Casa Nostra has always fascinated me and now it surfaces in Aruba.

What interested me are the families in Aruba who have gotten rich off this, the political infiltration, the ties to Venezuela, Montreal, Columbia and to Chretien in Canda, the infiltration of political parties. It just took my breath away.

And you may be right, this may be so huge it is unimaginable and the Sloot kid is just a patsy.

Or it might have just been an accident and the rest is background.

But I would never set foot on Aruba again. I knew when I was there that there were bad vibes, we stayed at the Holiday Inn. I think I can sense evil, I don't know how, I just do and I sensed it there.

1,008 posted on 06/18/2005 7:47:20 AM PDT by cajungirl (no)

I think she is gone. And the Arubans are trying to figure out if they can serve up the Dutch boy and be done with it. His parents may object but they just want this to go away. Unfortunately Nat's Mom may interfere.

1,009 posted on 06/18/2005 7:49:05 AM PDT by cajungirl (no)

PS,who in Alabama was threatened?

1,010 posted on 06/18/2005 7:49:57 AM PDT by cajungirl (no)

Croes is a "Calderon" look-a-like from the Miami Vice 1984 season 1. He looks like he wants to rabbit real bad and has a very scared look in his eyes. NSNR

1,011 posted on 06/18/2005 8:14:59 AM PDT by No Surrender No Retreat

Excellent info and this may be the opening of a big can of worms. NSNR

1,012 posted on 06/18/2005 8:18:37 AM PDT by No Surrender No Retreat

After reading this story, I don't have too much faith in Aruba's Coastal Surveillance Team.

http://www.arubaam.com/~victor/am08mar05.pdf#search=%E2%80%99rudy%20croes%E2%80%99

Trudy Hassell resigns

We understand that Commissioner Trudy Hassell decided to resign as Commissioner of the Coastal Surveillance Team. Hassell did a great job in fighting the illegal entry and stay of foreigners in Aruba. Hassell’s resignation is a direct result of the policy of the Minister of Justice, Rudy Croes.
In a recent raid on construction companies officials of the Coastal Surveillance Team detained about 10 persons that did not have any documents to show that they are legally on the island. These persons were laying a carpet at a well known establishment in Aruba. The persons involved were immediately taken to jail pending their deportation. In the meantime however, Minister Rudy Croes (Justice) decided to sign the necessary documents so that the stay of the 10 individuals in Aruba became legal.

It was not the first time that this happened, but enough for Hassell to say “that’s it”, work cannot go on like this. Although she has respect for the Minister of Justice, she cannot accept that her corps is ridiculed in this manner. She is not willing to go through this type of humiliation any longer and submitted her resignation as Commissioner of the Coastal Surveillance Team. Hassell’s position was always the responsibility of the Police Commissioner in San Nicolas but it was entrusted to Hassell because of her good work and because of the trust deposited in her by High Commissioner Bernadina. Who will replace her? This is in the hands of the Minister of Justice but it is almost certain that Commissioner Krozendijk will be put in charge.

(Originally found here: http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/?p=1086)

1,013 posted on 06/18/2005 8:19:34 AM PDT by blub

On Trip Adviser or SM there were some posts about the FBI interviewing some people in Alabama because they had received some threatening e-mails from someone in Aruba.

1,014 posted on 06/18/2005 8:21:18 AM PDT by Malichi

I am so angry at the way this kid was allowed to run free while he was a minor.

On one of the Fox reports, it was even stated that JvdS lives in an apartment attached to his parents' house. Can you imagine the trouble he's been getting in? Well, I guess we can all imagine that at this point.

1,015 posted on 06/18/2005 8:32:14 AM PDT by texasbluebell

Rudy Croes is mentioned in that long article on the Casa Nostra in Aruba that I posted.

this story may be so much bigger, a Pandora's box may be opened by this.

I think Nat's mother better be real careful here. This entire island may be dirty in ways that we can only imagine.

1,016 posted on 06/18/2005 8:33:34 AM PDT by cajungirl (no)

It's very easy to send a threatening email to someone. A favorite technique in cyberspace.

1,017 posted on 06/18/2005 8:33:53 AM PDT by sarasota

Interesting. Don't know the date of this article but it sounds like she's getting out while the getting is good. This story appears to get bigger every day...a very tangled web.

1,018 posted on 06/18/2005 8:35:36 AM PDT by sarasota

A Smugglers' Paradise

The Intercon Financial Bank on Aruba is represented by the law-firm Croes & Wever. One of the partners is former Minister of Justice Hendrik Croes. The firm's trust-company Arulex was implicated in setting up the bank. ""Yes, we are involved with that bank"," says Croes. ""We still handle all their legal affairs, but we don't know anything of their financial accounts"." (70)

Hendrik Croes – a brother of the island's legendary leader, the late Betico Croes who guided Aruba to its semi-independent status in the Dutch realm – is one of the leading political figures on the island. He led several election campaigns for the MEP, now in the opposition. The Croes Family has been accused of ties with Cuntrera-Caruana. The Sicilian mafiosi payed for a trip of another brother, Rudy Croes (who succeeded Hendrik as Minister of Justice in a previous MEP government) as party secretary to a meeting of the Socialist International in Turkey. This has not been denied.

Read the part about Rudy Croes and be shocked!!

1,019 posted on 06/18/2005 8:38:39 AM PDT by cajungirl (no)

NOOOOOOOO, really? Come on now, you're kiddin', right?(sarcasm)

1,020 posted on 06/18/2005 8:39:03 AM PDT by Malichi

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