As if straight out of a movie, a robbery in The Hague ended in hostage-taking, €130,000 worth of stolen objects, a country-wide hunt for the suspects, and a mysterious big boss. And now, we’re about to find out the verdict.
Back in September 2022, four men drove from Amsterdam to The Hague dressed as trusty Albert Heijn deliverers, except… they were there to rob a house. As they knocked on the door expecting no one to be home, a 19-year-old woman opened the door.
Before she knew it, the woman was knocked back inside the house by the so-called Albert Heijn deliverers. She and her boyfriend were tied up, and threatened with a gun, reports AD.
While they were locked in a pantry, three men ransacked the place — ending up with €130,000 worth of valuables, ranging from watches to designer bags, glasses, jackets, and cash.
A social media hunt
Turns out the house was owned by the female victim’s father, a coffeeshop owner.
Luckily, the cameras in the house captured images of the men in the act. Almost immediately, the photos of the suspects made their way through the internet in hopes of finding them.
Inmiddels gaan er op sociale media camerabeelden rond van de woningoverval gister op een woning aan de #Stavangerstraat in #DenHaag. Hierbij raakte de bewoner gewond. Lees meer in ons item: https://t.co/bx02XRAGOs pic.twitter.com/2rYJpajRvu
— District8.net (@RedactieD8) September 15, 2022
Translation: “Camera images are now circulating on social media of yesterday’s home robbery at a home at Stavangerstraat in Den Haag. The resident was injured.”
A hunt for the suspects began throughout the Netherlands. At the time, if you had any information that could lead to their arrest? Not only would you benefit from good karma, but could’ve pocketed an impressive €10,000 reward.
After a four-week hunt and their photos plastered all over the internet, the men were finally arrested. Turns out they were hiding in the Amsterdam Bijlmer neighbourhood.
A mystery big boss behind it all
The cherry on top? The police suspect that the robbery was orchestrated by a mystery big boss.
This mysterious man is thought to be one of the perpetrators behind a bomb threat on a container ship containing 2,400 kilos of cocaine, which happened in late 2022.
Unfortunately, both the young victims of the violent robbery were left in deep shock. One of them was injured from being hit in the head with the gun.
The public prosecutor of the case is demanding 5.5 years of prison for each of the three suspects.
Today, our thoughts are with the young victims. The verdict, determining how many years the men will spend in prison, should be announced in two weeks.
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