According to martial artist and MMA champion Manhoef, the men had been hanging around his home in Landsmeer for a few days. They put papers between front doors, an old trick to see if residents are absent for an extended period of time. If so, then this is an ideal time to turn a house upside down.
When they were found at his home for the fourth day in a row, the kickboxer thought it was enough. He gave chase and the three got stuck on the nearby Van Beekstraat. There they were arrested by the police, who have now been alerted, and who turned out en masse.
Because the men, three Amsterdammers aged 18, 19 and 22, had not yet actually broken into the house, the police could no longer detain them. The three were found to have burglary tools, and one of the suspects could not identify himself. “We are still conducting forensic investigations to see if the tools may have been used in previous burglaries,” said a police spokesperson. “But the men themselves have been released with a ticket.”