One suspect jailed, and another acquitted for armored truck robbery in Amsterdam

The court in Amsterdam acquitted a suspect of a robbery on an armored truck in Amsterdam-Noord. Another suspect was sentenced to 11 years in prison for his role in the robbery on May 19, 2021, of company Schöne Edelmetaal’s van. The Public Prosecution Service recommended 18 years in jail against the two suspects earlier.

The court said that there was insufficient evidence that the 36-year-old Belgian suspect was involved in the robbery. There was enough evidence to convict the other suspect, a 38-year-old from France. His punishment is lower than the recommendation because the suspect was acquitted of a few of the allegations, he was not carrying a weapon and did not shoot, and he was also not in a leading role.

Prosecutors said that the two suspects were able to evade arrest after the crime. They had allegedly been hiding in an apartment in Rotterdam. The 38-year-old was arrested in Paris, and the 36-year-old was arrested in Kosovo. He is currently in Belgium, sitting out a 16-year jail sentence. Both have denied their involvement throughout the case.

The robbery led to a Wild West-esque chase with the police in which officers were shot at. The chase ended in Broek in Waterland, just above Amsterdam. A 47-year-old French suspect was shot dead by police there in a foot chase through a meadow.

The investigation led to eight men being sentenced to jail times of up to 15 years for the very violent robbery. The suspects got away with 14.5 million euros. Around 4.2 million euros of this has not yet been accounted for.

The case against the men is still ongoing due to appeals.