Nearly three years after a little girl, Firdaous, was killed in a shooting in Antwerp, investigators are turning to the Netherlands for help.
Police are now searching for two Dutch men known only by the nicknames “Libby” and “Kleine Pagel,” who may have crucial information about what unfolded on January 9, 2023.
Calling upon the public
On Opsporing Verzocht (a Dutch television programme where police ask civilians to identify suspects), police spokesperson Nabil Ou-Aissa said new information about the case had surfaced in Amsterdam.
He urged civilians to report anything they know about Libby or Kleine Pagel, either anonymously or in strict confidence.
Here’s the security camera footage from the shooting in Antwerp, which shows two suspects on an electric scooter and an old, repaired Peugeot hatchback.
The two Dutchmen haven’t been confirmed as perpetrators but are believed to hold key information about the shooting. The priority now is to speak to them.
A tragedy that shook the country
The 11-year-old girl was killed when gunmen opened fire on the family home in Nieuwdreef, Antwerp.
Bullets tore through the garage and into the kitchen, where Firdaous, her father, and her sisters were eating. She died instantly.
Her body was sent to Morocco for burial.
A drug war?
Then-mayor of Antwerp, Bart De Wever, called the incident a turning point in the city’s struggle against drug-related violence.
And much of this violence is linked to the transit of cocaine through the port of Antwerp. Last year alone, 110 tonnes of cocaine were intercepted at the port.
According to RTL Nieuws, the victim had two uncles known for cocaine trafficking: Othman EB, who was extradited from Dubai to Belgium last summer, and another uncle who had been convicted of drug offences.
Now, police urge anyone with information about Libby and Kleine Pagel in Amsterdam, or about the suspects captured on CCTV footage, to come forward.
No matter how small the detail, your information could help bring closure for Firdaous’ family and the community still seeking answers.
You can contact the police tip line at 0800-6070, the anonymous hotline at 0800-7000, or submit an online tip via the police tip form.
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