Top cop arrested during police raids in Hague neighborhood: report

One of 18 people arrested during a large-scale police action against so-called 'ghost tenants' in The Hague neighborhood of Ypenburg on Tuesday morning, is a high positioned police officer, the Telegraaf reports based on two "well informed sources". The police see this top cop as a link between criminals and the owners of the rental apartments that were raided on Tuesday, according to the newspaper.

The arrested police officer works at the headquarters of the police in The Hague, where he directly advises the police force, according to the newspaper. He has an important position in the Facility Management department, which deals with real estate and housing within the police. The man was arrested at his home on Tuesday morning and has now been suspended, the Telegraaf writes.

The police refused to comment on this matter to RTL Nieuws.

Police investigation revealed that apartments in large complexes in the Ypenburg district were rented by anonymous persons. The first three suspects were arrested even before the raids started at around 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday. The main suspect is a 43-year-old man from Nootdorp. According to the police, the man rented the homes through his company, and then sublet them to people who did not want their names on any rental contracts, so-called 'ghost tenants'. The other two suspects, a 36-year-old man from Rijswijk and a 57-year-old man from Zoetermeer, own a company with the Nootdorp man. This company was also used to rent homes and sublet them to ghost tenants, as well as to launder the rent paid by these tenants.

During the raids, the police confiscated millions of euros in cash, five firearms, narcotics and 14 cars.The doors of the Ypenburg apartments "hid a whole criminal world", the police said. "Because people can live their completely anonymously, they can often go about their business undisturbed."