Philipsburg:--- Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos has finally broken his silence on the ongoing investigation that landed two persons behind bars. The Chief Prosecutor issued a press release concerning the investigation on Tuesday and insisted that he will not be releasing any more information on the ongoing investigation to the media.
In the press release, Mos said that last Thursday and Friday Sint Maarten Police (KPSM) and the RST conducted house searches in Cupecoy and in Pelican. In an apartment on Rhine Road, a pistol and an amount of approximately $13,500 were seized. During a subsequent search in a house on the Amber Road an amount of approx. $673,500 was found of which a quantity was found in the washing machine. In addition, a rifle was confiscated in the same house.
"Information from a foreign law enforcement agency together with actual local police information, lead the Public Prosecutor's Office to ask the judge for his permission to conduct the house searches," stated the press release. A third house was also searched but it appeared to be empty, Mos said. In the house on Amber Road, a 44 year old Venezuelan man, F.J.M.M., was arrested on Thursday. Mos further explained that after the suspect was interrogated during the weekend, subsequently 46 year old F.H. from Sint Maarten was arrested on Monday on the suspicion of gun possession. 
Fadi Hassbani was lead before the judge on Tuesday after the prosecutor asked for his pre-trial detention. The judge granted this request but immediately suspended his detention based on personal grounds of the suspect. Attorney at law Cor Merx represented Hassbani and the suspect was able to provide information which led the judge to decide that he must be released immediately since the personal grounds weighed heavier than the charges of illegal gun possession.
Mos further explained that the Venezuelan suspect's custody was prolonged for another eight days. His pre-trial detention will be requested later this week. The investigation is still ongoing.
Besides the substantial amount of money and the fire arms, a lot of paperwork and files were seized which police are still busy investigating.
"It is the intention of the Public Prosecutor's Office and Police to step up law enforcement regarding international and national money laundering. This investigation is the result of that intention and was based on intensified international cooperation between foreign and national law enforcement agencies," the press release concluded.
