Prosecutors demand life sentences for leaders of Dutch gang

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Dutch prosecutors have demanded life sentences for five alleged gangsters accused of six murders, four attempted murders and plotting four more hits, in a long-running trial that exposed the grim reality of the Netherlands’ violent criminal underworld. Prosecutors sought lower sentences Tuesday for 11 more defendants as the marathon trial of lead suspect Ridouan Taghi and several of his alleged accomplices drew toward its close at a closely guarded courtroom in Amsterdam. Taghi was one of the Netherlands’ most-wanted men until he was arrested in Dubai in 2019 and flown home to face trial. Defense lawyers will address the court before judges retire to consider their verdicts.