Fugitive art thief who stole Van Gogh, Frans Hals paintings caught after January escape
The police arrested a 63-year-old fugitive who escaped from prison in January when he was allowed to travel from the prison in Nieuwegein to a low-security unit of another prison on his own. According to crime journalist Mick van Wely, the fugitive involved is Nils M., who is serving eight years in prison for stealing paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Frans Hals from museums in Laren and Leerdam.
The police reported on Wednesday that they arrested a fugitive who still had to serve part of his prison sentence, but did not mention any names. A police spokesperson confirmed his identity to ANP. In addition to the art theft, M. was also convicted of illegal firearm possession and possession of over 10,000 MDMA pills.
A spokesperson for the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI) explained to the news wire that prisoners who are transferred to a low-security unit are free to leave during the day as part of their reintegration into society. They’re encouraged to find work, for example. “It is therefore customary for them to go there independently. If someone is assigned to such a unit, you can assume the risk is assessed as low.”
Instead of going to the low-security unit in January, M. ran for it. He was arrested in Amsterdam on Tuesday.
Due to his escape, M. will not immediately go to the low-security prison, the DJI spokesperson told ANP. His placement will be determined in the near future. M. is up for early release in almost a year. This escape will also “be taken into account” when that decision is made, the spokesperson said.
In July 2022, the court sentenced M. to eight years in prison for stealing the Vincent van Gogh painting The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring from the Singer Laren museum in March 2020 and the Hals canvas Two Laughing Boys from the Leerdam museum, Hofje van Mevrouw van Aerden in August of that year. The man denied involvement.
The Van Gogh painting was recovered in 2023. The world-famous work sustained some damage in the heist. The Frans Hals painting, worth around €15 million, is still missing.
