A Dutch national sentenced to 10 years in jail by the US for selling drugs via the internet has had his sentence cut to 6.5 years by judges in the Netherlands.

Marc Willems, a former soldier, was arrested along with seven others in 2012 for selling LSD, ecstasy, marijuana and other drugs to some 3,000 customers in 34 countries.

Willems and the others were arrested after American undercover police bought drugs via the online shop The Farmers Market, which ran on a hidden Tor network. He was arrested at his home in Lelystad and deported to the US to face charges at the beginning of 2014, where he was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Willems was then sent back to the Netherlands to serve his sentence, under an agreement reached with the US authorities.

Judges in Utrecht have now reduced the sentence to 6.5 years. Given the time he has already spent in jail and time off for good behaviour, Willems will be released in early August.