Man arrested in connection to failed Rolex robbery in Amsterdam-Zuid

A man was arrested for his possible involvement in a failed Rolex robbery on an Amsterdam-Zuid terrace last July, Het Parool reported on Tuesday. The 22-year-old man was arrested in late June and is suspected of weapons possession and attempted robbery.

The attempted robbery occurred on July 1 last year at Ferilli's Caffè Ristorante's terrace on Beethovenstraat in Amsterdam-Zuid. The victim, a businessman from The Hague area, was sitting with three people when an assailant approached him from behind and pointed a gun at his head. The man said, “Give me your watch or I'll shoot you in the head,” according to the victim who spoke with the local newspaper. The victim, who was wearing a Rolex watch, recounted hearing the weapon's clicking sound several times.

The assailant struck the victim's head multiple times with the firearm, which led to a scuffle where the victim managed to break free. In an attempt to stop the fleeing robber, the victim threw a chair, which hit a woman on the terrace, resulting in two broken teeth and a chin injury that required stitches at a hospital.

Het slachtoffer is in shock en heeft al z'n dure horloges meteen verkocht. "Ik vind het het niet waard om om die reden gevaar te lopen", vertelt hij aan AT5. Bekijk de hele video via: https://t.co/ewGyNLbQzO #Amsterdam #Rolex #Overval pic.twitter.com/pAZYL0RpHl

— AT5 (@AT5) July 5, 2022

The police investigation into the attempted robbery is still ongoing.

The newspaper noted that expensive watches have been a target for robbers over the past few years. A number of celebrities, including rapper Lil Kleine and former racing driver Robert Doornbos, have been victims of such thefts. In 2020, a violent gang known for targeting luxury Rolex watches received a five-year prison sentence.