Armored truck heist fails in Rotterdam; Three arrested

The police arrested three men who allegedly tried to steal an armored vehicle, and the valuable items being transported at the time. Two of the three overpowered the driver and abused him on Tuesday morning and absconded with the vehicle.

"He was threatened, severely beaten and left behind while his transport vehicle was taken," police said in a statement. "The 46-year-old victim was taken to hospital for treatment of his injuries."

The incident happened just before 10 a.m. on Almstein in Rotterdam-Zuid. The police soon tracked down the stolen vehicle in the Waalhaven.

By the time police caught up to the vehicle, a third suspect had joined the other two in his own car. Ultimately, the 28-year-old Delft resident was stopped and arrested at his car.

The other two sped off in the armored truck, before fleeing on foot. The truck was found shortly after on Hontenissestraat in Rotterdam's Zuidwijk neighborhood. Two men, a 27-year-old man from The Hague and a 32-year-old from Zoetermeer, had abandoned the transport truck.

Police managed to capture them nearby. "All valuables were still safely in the vehicle," police said.