It is perhaps the largest investigation north of Amsterdam at the moment: seven people are suspected of committing seven robberies in a year. Today it appears that an ex-girlfriend says she knows who shot Sjaak Groot and another witness only dares to declare anonymously about the robbery gang ‘because of fear of reprisals’.
The suspects Dut M. from Alkmaar, Deniz R. from Obdam and Opmeerder Mark V. were found in the court of Alkmaar today. Together with four others, they are seen by the Public Prosecution Service (OM) as members of a ruthless robbery gang that had been arrested in one year. time struck seven times.
Yet during the session it was mainly about a man who was not there: Glenn V. from Noord-Scharwoude. He is suspected of the robberies in Nieuwe Niedorp, De Goorn, the deadly one in Berkhout and in his own village Noord-Scharwoude. In addition to that DNA of him has been found on the firearm that was used in several places, his mother appears to have stated about his involvement.
According to her, she recognized her son on images of Opsporing Verzocht. Because of his walk and hair coming out from under the balaclava. He is also said to have spoken openly with others about the robberies at home.
“In her statements she spares no one. She calls man and horse”
Recently, statements from his ex-girlfriend were also added. She points to him as the shooter during the robbery of Sjaak Groot and thus killed him. She also states, for example, that she saw cigarettes stolen during the robbery at the gas station at her ex’s home.
‘Witnesses threatened and influenced’
“In the 32-page statement, she spares no one. She calls man and horse,” said lawyer Mark V. from Opmeer Bob Tijkotte about this. She would also have said that Mark V. from Opmeer was a driver for a robbery.
In addition, there is also evidence against him from chat conversations about an amount of money that would be at the victims’ home in Reumel in Gelderland. The Public Prosecution Service sees both Glenn V. and Mark V. as two of the leaders of the group.
“This is a criminal organization. We think that four men are part of the permanent core and others come and go,” said one of the three prosecutors who are now working on this mega case in court today.
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Seven robberies in one year
August 8, 2020: an elderly couple, former peat merchants, are taken at night by a five men robbed at home. The man from De Goorn can just dodge a deadly bullet. They are mistreated with crowbars. The loot: a small amount of money and two telephones.
August 9, 2020: a raid at a gas station in New Niedorp. The employee being held at gunpoint is an 18-year-old teenager. The loot: mainly cigarettes.
December 30, 2020: a married couple from Reumel in Gelderland being held at gunpoint in their bedroom. The woman was pulled out of bed by her hair. The loot: 15,000 euros and an Audi.
January 7, 2020: to become a husband and wife robbed in their home. The loot: at least one striking coin.
June 8, 2021: a couple and their son from De Noord (Heerhugowaard) are startled by a group of men who are in the house. They are beaten with an iron. The loot: unknown.
June 21, 2021: Sjaak Groot from Berkhout wakes up to noise and encounters a gang of robbers. In a struggle does he get shot?.
Start of July: a West Frisian man is found dead in his home. Suspected suicide. The firearm appears to have been used in multiple robberies. Based on reports, he is also placed by the Public Prosecution Service around the robbery in Berkhout.
July 22, 2021: a neighborhood in Noord-Scharwoude is startled by a double house robbery. A man is tied up, strangled and shot. Another too and runs bleeding to a neighbor’s garden. The loot: unknown.
According to her, this gang does not shy away from violence: victims are tortured, strangled and shot at. In addition, they would have tried to influence witnesses, have threatened a witness and, for example, one person only dares to testify if this can be done anonymously.
The lawyers argue today that there is no evidence, ‘only hearsay’. “The testimonies that are there: all these people were not there,” said Geert-Jan Kruizinga, lawyer for suspect Deniz R.
Reliability statement debatable
He finds the fact that the court today allowed a witness to be heard anonymously before the investigating judge – that person says he has more information about the case, but is afraid of reprisals, according to sources surrounding the investigation.
“I can’t test how reliable these statements are”, the lawyer explained to NH Nieuws after the session. His client from Obdam is also seen by the Public Prosecution Service as ‘the hard core’ and he is suspected of involvement in at least three robberies.
The other suspects, Ruveïni M. (according to the Public Prosecution Service the fourth pivot), a Heerhugowaarder (which has not yet occurred) and thus Glenn V. will appear in an interim hearing later this year. The seventh suspect, a Rotterdam citizen (M.’s partner) is the only one free under certain conditions because of the care for her child.