Plumber hounded by threats and explosions for 16 months dies at age 45

A plumber whose home and workplace were hit in a series of explosions over more than a year died on Monday at the age of 45. Ron van Uffelen, from Vlaardingen, is survived by his wife and two children.

"The cause of death is believed to be medical," said Van Uffelen's lawyer, Richard Korver, on his law firm's website. It was not stated if Van Uffelen was found dead, nor if he died in the presence of medical professionals. Local news service Rijnmond reported that Van Uffelen was rushed to a hospital on Saturday, where he received treatment for heart problems.

The first explosive that was detonated at one of Van Uffelen's properties took place in April 2023. Since then, his home, place of business, and vehicles were the center of two dozen incidents where an explosion took place, or an incident was foiled, with many involving very powerful fireworks.

The crimes rattled neighbors near his home on Gretha Hofstralaan. Although the plumber was cleared in an investigation to determine if he was linked to criminality which could have sparked the wave of violence, Vlaardingen Mayor Bert Wijbenga banned the plumber from his home for four months starting at the beginning of March. This was necessary to restore calm and order to the neighborhood, he argued.

At the end of March, a fire broke out on Wilhelminastraat in Vlaardingen during an incident in which the plumber may have been targeted again. The Easter weekend fire left his sister-in-law and two of his nephews injured. The garage next to the home was in the plumber's name, according to Rijnmond. Another home on that block was hit with an explosive months earlier.

Van Uffelen challenged the Vlaardingen mayor's restraining order, but a Rotterdam court ruled in favor of Wijbenga. This decision came despite the police and prosecutors telling Van Uffelen he should be able to remain in his residence, according to Korver.

"The family points out that there is no criminal record that could lead to the conclusion that one or more family members are themselves involved in criminal acts. In other words, a family that is a victim of persistent fireworks incidents is now being evicted from their home," Korver said in June. It was a situation where the court turned the victim into a criminal, he argued, sending "an extremely bad signal when it comes to the strength of the rule of law."

Korver would not say on Monday whether the stress caused by the violent crimes or the ongoing legal battle with the municipality may have contributed to his client's death. "The family is devastated and asks that everyone respect their privacy as they try to come to terms with this totally unexpected and great loss," Korver wrote. "The family is not available for comment, is not answering questions and asks the press to allow them to grieve in a private manner."

The motives behind the explosions remain unknown. There have been several arrests in connection with the explosions over the past year.