3 arrested after military police officer's murder on Curacao; 2 not linked to his death

The police on Curacao have announced three arrests connected to the fatal robbery of Koninklijke Marechaussee officer Toon Brood (49). Two of the suspects are not linked to Brood’s death, NOS reports.

Brood was shot dead in his home on Friday, May 31. Three masked men had invaded his home late that evening. Brood and his wife were sitting on the terrace. He got up to investigate a noise and was shot. His wife gave the men the car keys, and they left with the car and multiple items from the couple’s home.

On Friday, June 7, a man turned himself in to the police. He was arrested for involvement in Brood’s death. On Saturday, the police arrested another man for stealing the Dutch officer’s motorcycle. A third man was arrested on Sunday morning. He is a suspect in another murder case.

The police raided several homes on the island on Friday. They found Brood’s motorcycle and that led to the three arrests.

Local media speculate that a group of young men who regularly steal car parts may be behind the robbery that turned fatal for Brood.

Brood was deployed to Curacao for an operation to strengthen border control at the airport. Curacao forms part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Koninklijke Marechaussee is a policing force that works as part of the Dutch military and is responsible for border security, including at airports and seaports.