Armored truck hit in Amsterdam robbery was holding €67.3 million in goods

An armored truck that was targeted in a robbery in Amsterdam-Noord was carrying 67.3 million euros worth of valuables when the criminals struck. The suspects involved in the violent robbery on May 19 initially made off with 12.2 million euros.

Police recovered loot worth at least 9.4 million euros and returned it to Brink’s, the company which provided the armored vehicle. Details about the case were confirmed by an untold number of anonymous sources close to the investigation who spoke to both AD and RTL Boulevard. The fate of the remaining 2.8 million euros in valuables, believed to be precious metals and gemstones, was not revealed.

The six suspects, all men from Belgium and France, remain in custody. They are set to appear in a court hearing about the case on Wednesday. A seventh suspect was killed in a shootout with police in Broek in Waterland north of Amsterdam.

The robbery took place at the Schöne Edelmetaal building on Meeuwenlaan in Amsterdam-Noord after the Brink’s truck entered the premises. The truck contained one load of goods with a value of over 62 million euros. The rest was part of a separate load worth over five million euros, the media outlets reported. Last week, it emerged that the suspects had used cable ties to disable the victims during the robbery.

The robbers loaded their haul into two different vehicles used as getaway cars. Police said suspects in those vehicles fired shots at police officers who gave chase, though the arrested men denied this.

The media outlets said on Monday that several of the suspects were cooperating in the investigation. A possible motive for the crime was that they found themselves in debt, and owed significant amounts of money.

Several of the robbers were wearing bulletproof vests, according to the newspaper and the television program. One bullet which struck the suspect who died hit him just above his vest.