Prosecutors Say 18 Deaths Can Be Tied to Pills Sold Through Funcaps

Forensic evidence presented by the Public Prosecution Service links unlicensed sleep and calming medicines sold via Funcaps to multiple fatalities and has prompted requests to keep two suspects in custody.

Overview

At a preparatory hearing prosecutors told the court they can prove a causal link between Funcaps' substances and 18 deaths and said four additional cases are still under review by the Netherlands Forensic Institute.
Three men have been charged in the case: Jord van W. and Stefan P. are in custody and prosecutors want them to remain detained while Rens van W. is not jailed and is regarded as a flight risk because of reported Dubai ties.
Investigators say the defendants sold prescription-type sleep and calming medicines via the Funcaps website since July 2020 without the required permits and did not adequately warn buyers about the risks of taking the pills.
Two of the suspects were sentenced in Belgium in April to three years for similar allegations, a fact prosecutors cited to show cross-border patterns of illegal sales and prior enforcement.
The case gained public attention after several deaths, including a 19-year-old linked to a Funcaps order, and could see the official death toll rise if ongoing NFI analyses produce new forensic proof, with wider legal and public-health implications for online drug sales.