Biggest-ever credit fraud centered on Hague grow shop

According to German Authorities, a grow shop in The Hague's Mandarijnstraat was the epicenter of the biggest ever credit fraud case of The Netherlands, in which €30 million was stolen in one night, De Telegraaf reports. 

In one evening in Germany, bigger and smaller criminals in one ring received false cards, lists with ATM machines and prepaid phones to pull off a €30 million robbery.

At the time, Jeroen 'Jerry' S. (38) was the manager of trade in materials for marijuana cultivation. He has been apprehended, and is in custody in Germany together with the then-owner of the grow shop, John van L.

Key witness in this case, Nicolaos G., a truck driver from Greece, has made an extensive statement about the two suspects from The Hague.

G. drove to Bremen with another person, Tamara O. (32) from Rijswijk, to empty all the ATM machines. He would be allowed to keep one quarter of the loot - almost €170,000 - for himself. He did not get this money in the end.

When G. had car trouble on the way, he stopped at a garage and gave his real name. With this information, police were able to trace him and make an arrest. Because G. gave his witness testimony, he has received a two year conditional prison term.

On the way, G. also had phone conversations with Jeroen S., who was on his way in the Ruhr area with John van L. and others. In Essen, they stole more than €150,000 from ATMs with fraudulent cards. Security camera images show that S. only has one hand, the other having been lost in a fireworks accident. This also made it easier for police to trace him.

De Telegraaf writes that the former manager was arrested in The Netherlands last February. After the Ministry of Justice suspended his custody, the Public Prosecution Authority in Düsseldorf ordered that S. be extradited. He is currently in custody in Keulen.