The mastermind of the biggest robbery in Dutch history was arrested in Ibiza on Tuesday afternoon, as reported by the daily Telegraaf and confirmed by Diario de Ibiza. The event took place on 25 February 2005 during the robbery of an armoured KLM airline vehicle by a group of armed people on a maximum security runway at Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam). Most of the loot, worth more than USD 70 million (EUR 67 million) in precious stones, was never recovered.
Errol H.V., 59, was sentenced in 2021 to 9.5 years in prison for the spectacular diamond heist, but only served just over three years and disappeared. It appears that the now arrested man had been been living on the island for quite some time.
The arrest was confirmed on Tuesday morning by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Netherlands, according to this newspaper, after months of search after his disappearance. For the moment it is not known when he will be extradited from Spain to this country.
The facts
Four men were convicted of the theft in 2021 after a lengthy investigation and undercover operation in several countries. The suspects were also arrested in 2005 and 2006but they had to released for lack of evidence. A fifth suspect died during the criminal trial.
The main suspect, Errol H.V., was sentenced to 9.5 years in prison, having been deemed the mastermind of the robbery, while the driver of the getaway car, Marlon Dreceived a six-year prison sentence. Both had remained in the vehicle during the robbery.
Erik P., who had also participated in a first robbery attempt, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, and a KLM airline employee, Ramazan N., who helped the thieves from inside Schiphol, received a five-year sentence.
A colleague of his, also an airport employee, was acquitted because his involvement in the robbery could not be proven with legal and convincing arguments, but he did receive a six-month prison sentence for money laundering.
Simon van M., who was suspected of having put the airport employees in contact with the robbers, was acquitted of the robbery for lack of evidence, but sentenced to two months imprisonment for possession of prohibited weapons.
A seventh suspect, and probably another mastermind of the robbery, died recently.
In January 2017, the seven suspects – five men and two women, all Dutch – were arrested in Amsterdam and Valencia in a joint operation by the two countries.
Higher sentence
Errol H.V. appealed the sentence as it was higher and his capture was not ordered. In October 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the sentence. In December, Marlon D., one of the participants in the robbery, was arrested in Amsterdam.
On Tuesday it was the turn of the mastermind of the robbery. The diamonds have not been found.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.