Nine arrests in connection with kidnapping of The Hague resident rescued in Belgium

Nine suspects were arrested in recent days in connection with the kidnapping of a 27-year-old resident of The Hague at the end of November, the Public Prosecution Service reported on Thursday. The arrests took place in Amsterdam, Diemen, and Rotterdam.

Lakshan N. was kidnapped on November 26 and held captive for a week and a half. The 27-year-old man from The Hague managed to escape and reported the incident to the police in Belgium on December 6.

The police did not say why the man had been abducted. But sources told Parool that he was kidnapped as part of a conflict over a stolen shipment of cocaine from the port of Antwerp on October 25.

The investigation into the case led to the arrest of a 37-year-old man from Amsterdam on December 7 and the arrest of a 45-year-old man from Amsterdam one day later. On Monday, three more arrests were made: a 37-year-old man from Amsterdam, a 51-year-old man from Rotterdam, and a 26-year-old man from Albania without a permanent residence in the Netherlands.

These five suspects were brought before the examining magistrate on Wednesday, who extended their pre-trial detention by 14 days.

On Thursday, the police arrested four more individuals: a 40-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman from Amsterdam, and a 50-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman from Diemen. They will be arraigned next week.

These latest arrests bring the total number of suspects to nine. All suspects are currently under restrictions, allowing contact only with their lawyers. Due to these restrictions, the Public Prosecution Service is unable to provide further details about the case at this time.