Products seized by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority at Funcaps. CAPTURE D’ÉCRAN DU SITE DU JOURNAL NÉERLANDAIS « DE VOLKSKRANT ».
At least 45 people are believed to have died after purchasing synthetic drugs and illegal medications from Funcaps, a Dutch website. And this might just be "the tip of the iceberg," the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service said on Monday, November 17, during the opening hearing of the trial against the two owners of the online store, which was established in 2016 in Zwolle, in the northern Netherlands. This is the first time in Dutch legal history that these products, also known as "new psychoactive substances," are suspected of having caused deaths.
Jordy van W. and Stefan P., both in their 30s, were arrested in August and placed in preventive detention ahead of their trial, which is expected to take place in February 2026. On Monday, before the court that was to rule on their continued detention, the prosecutor accused them of "profiting from human misery." They allegedly earned millions through their store, which purported to offer customers "the simplest way possible" to experience "more euphoria, energy, relaxation, pleasure and color." All of this was done without authorization, and for substances considered potentially lethal. The defendants face sentences ranging from 15 to 30 years in prison.
