Key information:
- Nearly €400,000 in earlier fines: A transport company from The Hague was repeatedly penalised in recent years for breaching labour regulations.
- Two-month suspension: In July 2026, the company was ordered to stop carrying out transport operations itself or on behalf of the business.
- Operations allegedly continued: During inspections, officials found that the company was still providing transport services for several customers.
- Criminal investigation launched: Following the administrative inspections, the investigative unit of the Netherlands Labour Inspectorate opened a criminal investigation.
- Two directors arrested: Investigators seized several data-storage devices and took possession of a company car that inspectors believe was used to continue operating.
- Up to six years in prison: Ignoring an order to suspend operations is an offence under the Dutch Economic Offences Act.
The case involves a transport company in The Hague that, according to the Netherlands Labour Inspectorate, repeatedly breached labour law in recent years. The total value of the earlier penalties has now risen to almost €400,000.
Because the alleged violations continued, the inspectorate imposed a more severe measure in July 2026 and ordered the company to suspend its transport operations for two months. The order covered both transport carried out by the company itself and services provided on its behalf.
The aim was to prevent further breaches.
Transport operations allegedly continued despite the ban
After the order was issued, inspectors checked whether the company was complying with it. According to the Netherlands Labour Inspectorate, they found that transport services were still being provided for several customers. The case therefore went beyond alleged labour-law breaches: investigators suspected that the company had disregarded an official order to stop operating.
Following those administrative checks, the investigative unit of the Netherlands Labour Inspectorate opened a criminal investigation.
Two directors arrested
Investigators arrested two company directors last week. They seized several data-storage devices and took possession of a company car that inspectors believe was used to continue transport operations while the ban was in force. Both individuals were summoned directly to appear before a criminal court.
The Netherlands Labour Inspectorate stresses that ignoring an order to suspend operations constitutes an offence under the Economic Offences Act. The maximum penalty is six years in prison. At this stage, the case concerns allegations, and a court will decide whether the arrested directors are criminally responsible.
When compliance risk becomes a criminal matter
The case illustrates how compliance problems can escalate inside a transport company. Repeated breaches may initially lead to inspections and administrative penalties. If the problems continue, authorities can impose stronger measures, including a temporary suspension of operations. Disregarding that order creates a fundamentally different level of risk, including a criminal investigation, the seizure of data and assets, and potential personal liability for company managers.
Existing contracts do not override a transport ban
The inspectorate’s finding that the company allegedly continued serving several customers despite the ban is also significant. Active transport contracts do not override an order to suspend operations. For a carrier, compliance with such a decision must be managed not only by senior leadership but also throughout day-to-day operations.
If a company is legally barred from carrying out transport, continuing to operate may compound the problem rather than resolve it.
Earlier fines were a warning
The main lesson is not simply the size of the earlier penalties. Almost €400,000 in fines came before a much more serious intervention: a temporary suspension of operations followed by a criminal investigation after the company was suspected of ignoring the order.
The case shows how repeated violations can lead to increasingly severe consequences. When administrative penalties fail to stop the problem, authorities may intervene directly in a company’s operations. Ignoring such an order can expose the people managing the business to criminal liability.
