Polish organized crime fugitive caught in Netherlands; Romanian fugitive also busted

Investigators in the Netherlands caught two different fugitives on Wednesday, both of whom are wanted by international authorities. The two men were captured in separate arrests, and each have to serve several years in prison for prior convictions.

A 37-year-old Polish man was caught on the A67 near Maasbree, Limburg. In Poland, he is considered to be an organized crime leader, Dutch police said. He was convicted there on charges of extortion, public violence, robbery, drugs crimes, and forgery.

"The man was under international surveillance because he has been sentenced to prison in Poland and still has to serve 2,750 days," Dutch police said. The prison sentence equates to just over 3.5 years behind bars.

He had been staying in the Netherlands for a period, but did not have a fixed address. When he was arrested, police said he was in possession of a forged Polish identification card.

Fugitive on the run from Romania caught

On the same day, Marechaussee officers were on patrol along the Dutch-German border when they stopped a commercial van on the N325 near Beek. Two people were inside, both of whom are from Romania.

While police ran a check on the two, the driver decided to take off running. The Marechaussee went after him on foot and bicycle. "After a search of about 20 minutes, in which the Romanian ran through several backyards and climbed over fences, colleagues were able to apprehend him," the military branch said. He was caught with the help of civilians in a neighborhood in Beek-Ubbergen.

The man has thus far evaded a prison sentence of 3 years and 2 months imposed by a court in Romania for auto theft and for stealing fuel. Dutch authorities also gave him a ticket for driving without a valid license.

Extradition to be considered

An extradition process will quickly be started in the case of both fugitives. When someone is caught on a European arrest warrant in an EU member state, authorities have to surrender them to the other relevant country within ten days. However, if either suspect decides to fight extradition, a Dutch court would likely have to consider the matter and issue a decision in early May.

Of the Polish man convicted of organized crime offenses, Dutch police said the case will now be handled by the Amsterdam District Court, which often handles extradition cases. The Marechaussee said the Romanian man was placed in the custody of the Public Prosecution Service, which will review the next steps in his extradition process.