A judge has ordered Errol H.V., the 59-year-old Dutchman arrested last Tuesday in Ibiza and who had an international search and arrest warrant for the theft of diamonds worth more than 70 million euros, a robbery he committed in 2005 at Schipol Airport (Amsterdam), to be remanded in custody.
After the robbery, the most important in the history of Holland, he was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison in his country, but he appealed the sentence and fled the country, taking refuge in Ibiza.
Considered the ‘mastermind’ of the historic robbery, he had been followed since last November.
In order to go unnoticed on the island, he changed his physical appearance to such an extent that he may have undergone cosmetic surgery to avoid being recognised.
He also worked as a masseur and dog walker.
After his arrest it will be up to the High Court to decide on his extradition.
Seven people were arrested in Spain and Amsterdam in 2017 in connection with the heist after a long undercover operation. Two years later, four were jailed, two were found not guilty and one had died.
HV was given a seven-year jail term but in 2020 he and the other gang members were released from jail and allowed to wait for their appeals in freedom.
Marlon D, who actually committed the theft with H V, was arrested in Amsterdam last December, the Telegraaf said.
The theft took place on February 25, 2005 when armed robbers dressed as KLM staff hijacked an armoured car in a secure area of Schiphol airport and stole uncut diamonds said to be worth more than $72m. The diamonds were about to be loaded onto a plane and flown to Belgium.
Part of the diamond haul was recovered from a getaway car but the majority of the gems are still missing.