Police arrest second man suspected in Amsterdam attorney's assassination
Amsterdam police investigating the murder of criminal defense attorney Derk Wiersum have arrested another man on suspicion of involvement in Wiersum's slaying. The suspect, identified by AD as Anouar T., a relative of crime boss Ridouan Taghi, is the third person police picked up this week as part of the case.
He was arrested between the late night hours on Tuesday and early Wednesday morning, police said. He was stopped on a public highway, and immediately taken to a solitary detention facility where he was only being allowed contact with his attorney.
"Immediately after the arrest, the suspect's home was searched under the supervision of an investigating magistrate," police said. Authorities did not disclose the location of the home, nor did they say where the suspect was arrested.
Both Anouar T. and Ridouan Taghi are from Utrecht, reported newspaper AD.
Another person was taken into custody on October 1 as police uncovered a white Opel Combo believed to have been the getaway car used after the shooting. That suspect was still being held in an isolated facility seven weeks later, the Public Prosecution Service confirmed.
Wiersum, a married father of two, was killed in front of his wife the morning of September 18. He had been representing crown witness Nabil B., who is expected to testify against as many as 16 defendants including Taghi in a string of assassinations, attempted murders, and related schemes.
Two other persons of interest were detained over the past week as police investigated the stolen vehicles involved in surveilling Wiersum in the weeks before his death. The two were questioned and released, police confirmed Tuesday night.
Authorities were still looking for information regarding the vehicles linked to the killing, including the Opel Combo, a Renault Megane, and a Volkswagen Transporter.
In het onderzoek naar de moord op advocaat Derk Wiersum is afgelopen nacht wederom een verdachte aangehouden. Hij wordt verdacht van betrokkenheid bij de moord. Het opsporingsonderzoek gaat onverminderd verder en nieuwe aanhoudingen worden niet uitgesloten. pic.twitter.com/WicencOwaf
— Politie Eenheid Amsterdam (@POL_Amsterdam) November 20, 2019