Police looking for 71-year-old man abducted in Rotterdam last week
The police are looking for a 71-year-old man who was abducted in Rotterdam last Thursday. Witnesses saw three men pull him into a van - a black Ford Transit Custom with orange stripes - on Zoutziederstraat. The police have arrested one suspect, but the victim is still missing.
The victim was walking home from the mosque at 7:38 p.m. on Thursday, January 25, when three men pulled him into the black van with orange stripes. Bystanders called the police, who immediately launched an investigation. That led to the arrest of a 45-year-old man from Zwolle on Tuesday. He is suspected of involvement in the abduction. But he hasn’t led the police to the victim yet.
The police are looking for anyone who noticed the van in the intervening days. It is a previously stolen black Ford Transit Custom 3 (2019 model) with thin orange stripes, silver mirrors, sidebars, and forged license plates. The photos of the van released by the police show the original license plates before the theft. At the time of the abduction, the van had plates on with the registration number VZZ-43-P.
After the abduction, the van sped away from Zoutziederstraat via Tjalklaan, over the A4, through the Benelux tunnel, over the A29 Heinenoord, and toward the Haringvlietbrug. Here, the van may have left the highway or been fitted with other license plates because the police lost it.
The police asked residents of Goeree-Overflakkee, Zeeland, and West-Brabant, in particular, to look out for the van. Investigators would also like to talk to anyone who may know the motive behind the abduction or have information about where the victim is being held.
