Notorious Dutch Criminal Willem Holleeder Arrested For Extortion

[News_Editor]

<p>AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS (BNO NEWS) -- Dutch crime boss Willem Holleeder, who is notorious for the 1983 kidnapping of beer tycoon Freddy Heineken, was among ten people arrested in the Netherlands on Monday as part of a massive probe into organized crime, prosecutors said.

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<p>Seven men and three women were arrested after more than 450 officers, under the direction of five magistrates and thirteen prosecutors, raided at least 10 residential addresses, two sport schools in Beverwijk, businesses and several safety deposit boxes at banks in and around the capital Amsterdam.

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<p>Prosecutors confirmed Holleeder had been arrested on suspicion of extortion, and Dutch media identified two other suspects as professional kickboxer Dick Vrij and well-known underworld figure Danny K. It is believed the main suspects in the group have been involved in money laundering, extortion, aggravated assault, possession of firearms, and the trade of hard drugs since 2009.

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<p>"Police were assisted by advanced search teams from the Ministry of Defense. The army officers used special equipment to search for hidden spaces," the prosecutor's office said in a statement. "Dogs to search for money and explosives were also used. It involved in total more than 40 searches."

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<p>Investigators seized numerous items during the raids, including three firearms, around 100 expensive watches, armored cars and hundreds of thousands of euros in cash. Computers, phones and a large amount of administration, some of which had been hidden in concealed places, was also seized.

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<p>It is the second time this year that Holleeder has been taken into custody. He was arrested and questioned in April after well-known crime reporter Peter R. de Vries said he had filed a criminal complaint in the city of Utrecht after being threatened by the notorious criminal. "Crazed Willem Holleeder threatened me with death at my home address in the presence of my wife," the reporter said at the time.

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<p>De Vries said Holleeder had shown up unannounced at his house, apparently to discuss a disagreement over a film. "Holleeder didn't want his name/character in [an] American film. Earlier [he] gave permission," he wrote on the social networking website Twitter in April. "Scenario is ready and it stays like that. With him in it."

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<p>Holleeder, who previously appeared to have a friendly relationship with De Vries, was released in January 2012 after serving two-thirds of a nine-year jail sentence for extorting money from two men who were later killed. He also spent more than six years in jail for kidnapping beer tycoon Freddy Heineken and his driver in 1983, leading to a three-week hostage crisis before a multi-million ransom was paid and both were released unharmed. Most of the money was never recovered.

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