Dutch suspect extradited to Italy to stand trial over deadly Milan arson
Washi Laroo, a 26-year-old Dutch national, was extradited from the Netherlands to Italy this week to face charges in the deadly arson at a Milan warehouse last September that killed three young Chinese residents, including two brothers aged 17 and 18 and a 24-year-old man, according to the local newspaper la Repubblica.
He is now held at San Vittore prison in Milan pending trial, which is scheduled to begin September 10 before the Corte d’Assise. The charges include multiple counts of voluntary manslaughter, arson, and attempted extortion.
Laroo had been arrested in Middelburg after an investigation into a series of burglaries and thefts in Zeeland and Noord-Brabant.
Italian authorities allege that Laroo set the fire on September 12 following a dispute over a 40,000-euro debt owed by the warehouse owner to two Chinese suspects, Yijie Yao and Bing Zhou, who are accused of ordering the arson.
Prosecutors say Laroo initially threatened the target with a knife and confronted the man’s mother the next day before carrying out the fire, fleeing to the Netherlands only after media reports revealed the deaths.
During related investigations, Italian police seized roughly 1,000 ecstasy pills, 1.3 kilograms of a synthetic stimulant, 45,000 euros in cash, and drug distribution materials linked to one of the alleged co-conspirators.
According to an earlier article from MilanoToday, the extradition to Italy had been delayed due to concerns over overcrowding in Italian prisons.
The two alleged masterminds, Yao and Zhou, will also face trial in Milan. Laroo, if convicted, could serve his sentence in either Italy or the Netherlands, depending on international agreements.
