The court in Alkmaar found L. de B. (27) from Enkhuizen and N. van der P. (30) from Obdam guilty of stealing, stripping and healing campers in North Holland coastal villages in the summer of 2022. The Enkhuizer will receive 480 hours of community service, the man from Obdam 240 hours.
“You will be on vacation and find out that your holiday home has been stolen. With all your belongings in it.” That is what the public prosecutor says through the microphone when the case is dealt with on July 6.
Because the theft of motorhomes is a real plague for the judiciary. Along the North Holland coastal villages, dozens of German and Swiss tourists – especially in the summer months – are cunningly robbed of their ‘house on wheels’. The ‘most popular’ model is a Volkswagen Californiagood for 40,000 to 50,000 euros.
“The thefts had to be stopped. The damage is too great, both materially and emotionally,” the public prosecutor described the situation in court. The Public Prosecution Service put in a lot of effort and opened the hunt for the camper thieves.
Read here how justice tracked down the ‘camper gang’
Intensive detective work
Partly due to the detective work of the criminal investigation department, the judiciary soon finds a suspect: L. de B. (27) from Enkhuizen. Together with N. van der P. (30) from Obdam, he is held responsible for the theft of at least five campers, surfboards and snow chains.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the procedure is always the same. The thefts all take place at night, after which the stolen campers are ‘put cold’ somewhere. “This was to find out whether there was a track and trace system in it. They worked professionally, everyone was given a separate role.”
Holidays
The court agrees as well. “They not only lost their accommodation for the holiday, but also their personal belongings and travel documents.”
De Enkhuizer receives a prison sentence of 365 days, of which 292 days are conditional and a community service order of 480 hours. The 30-year-old man from Obdam was also sentenced to 365 days in prison, of which 258 days were suspended. Plus 240 hours of community service.
The two men have been in custody for several months. As a result, they do not have to go back to prison. However, they must report to the probation service.
Several West Frisian camper thieves active
In addition to the two sentenced today, there is co-defendant KP (26) from Zwaag. He was also present in Him in the shed, then the police raided in September 2022. He must appear before a magistrate in October.
A 29-year-old man from Hoorn was already sentenced to a month in prison on March 16. A 29-year-old man from Abbekerk will later have to answer to the judge.
In addition to this alleged ‘camper gang’, there will be another three camper thieves arrested. They also come from West Friesland. After a German camper filed a report three days earlier because his camper was stolen in Zandvoort, the police immediately started a large-scale investigation that eventually led them to a warehouse in Middenmeer.
There’s the trio caught in the act. Two of them, a 30-year-old man from Abbekerk and a 26-year-old man from Grootebroek, were told yesterday that they to remain incarcerated for fourteen days longer. The third suspect, a 29-year-old man of unknown residence, is at large.