Suspect in brazen Amsterdam armored truck robbery arrested in Guinea

A Belgian man was arrested last week in the capital of the Republic of Guinea who is suspected of involvement in the violent robbery of a secured armored truck transport at Schöne Edelmetaal in Amsterdam-Noord last year. The precious metal robber took place on May 19, 2021.

A spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service in Amsterdam confirmed the arrest on Friday after reporting by Flemish media outlets.

The 27-year-old suspect, Ibrahim A., was living in hiding in the African country because of he was the target of an international manhunt. A. still has to serve a 21-year prison sentence in Belgium for convictions in a series of robberies. He managed to escape from the Saint-Gilles prison in March 2020.

The robbery in Amsterdam-Noord led to a Wild West pursuit with the police who responded to the robbery en masse. That largely ended in Broek in Waterland, a village north of Amsterdam. In a shootout, the police shot and killed one of the robbers in a pasture.

In November, the Public Prosecution Service demanded eighteen years in prison against seven of the suspects. The OM demanded five years in prison against an eighth suspect, who was accused of playing a significantly smaller role.