Dutch police arrest one of UK’s most wanted criminals while he eats Christmas dinner

Christmas is such a great time for the family: you can see your loved ones, exchange presents, and enjoy a delicious meal. But, fair warning: the family will probably give you some disapproving stares if you end up being arrested before dessert.

That’s what happened for one of the United Kingdom’s most wanted criminals, who was arrested while enjoying Christmas dinner at a restaurant in The Hague. The 28-year-old has been on the run for five years.

But, hey, it was a great Christmas present for the cops! I’m sure they put ‘arrest a gang leader’ on their wishlist, and boy did Santa deliver. The man is suspected of leading a gang of smugglers of arms and ammunition between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom by utilising corrupt truck drivers.

It sure is true what they say about ending up on the naughty list: the man had ten charges filed against him in England, for the smuggling above, and for drug offences. Now, instead of seeing a white Christmas, the Brit will see the inside of a Dutch court; and find out if and when he will be extradited back to the UK.

A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency (NCA) calls the arrest a fantastic result. “The people can be sure that the NCA will ruthlessly pursue people who harm the UK, even on Christmas Day.” Merry Christmas, NCA!

Feature Image: Merseyside Police

Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺
Samantha Dixon 🇦🇺https://gallivantations.com
Sam has over six years experience writing about life in the Netherlands and leads the content team at DutchReview. She originally came to the Netherlands to study in 2016 and now holds a BA (Hons.) in Arts, a BA (Hons) in Journalism, and a Masters in Teaching. She loves to write about settling into life in the Netherlands, her city of Utrecht, learning Dutch, and jobs in the Netherlands — and she still can’t jump on the back of a moving bike (she's learning!).

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