Lead suspect in car-and cargo theft arrested near Maastricht

A 46-year old man was held by police yesterday in Koningsbosch. The man is being held on charges of car- and cargo theft as well as laundering, and handling stolen goods. The police searched the residence of the man in question on Tuesday morning, supported by members of the Ministry of Defense. They carried out a search for hidden areas on the resident's plot which resulted in the seizure of money. The 46-year old resident of Koningsboch is a suspect in the theft of a delivery van in the German state of Noordrijn-Westfalen which occurred at the end of 2012. An investigation was launched into this case by the Regional Bureau of Investigation of Zuid-Nederland who operate in Zeeland, Limburg and Brabant. The suspect reportedly used the stolen van to pilfer brand clothing from a cargo truck. The stolen vehicle was later found burned out in Neuss, Germany. The man is also accused of stealing a shipment of laptops in the German Noordrijn-Westfalen, and possession of a German station wagon and delivery van which were both declared stolen. A related search of three storage warehouses in Kerkrade, Vlodrop and Arensgenout in Limburg led to the seizure of six classic cars, a scooter and a Ferrari. The owners of these storages, a 69-year old man and his wife, were held in custody after the possession of the vehicles. In a warehouse in Vlodrop, the police found three motorbikes and three classic cars. All the possessed vehicles have been impounded for further investigation. The 46-year old lead suspect from Koningschbosch and the two suspects from Arensgenout are being held for questioning. The police are not ruling out more arrests this week.