The man whose farmhouse was besieged by dozens of gunmen in a suspected drugs feud has been arrested in Germany, Dutch media report.
German police said a 28-year-old man was detained in a car park in Soest, 150km beyond the Dutch border in North Rhine-Westphalia, on suspicion of trying to smuggle nearly four tonnes of cocaine through the French port of Dunkirk.
NOS quoted sources saying the suspect was Jan G., who is believed to have been the target of a group of heavily armed men who killed a security guard and injured two police officers in a shoot-out in Overasselt, Gelderland, three weeks ago.
Police traced G. in the wake of the shooting, as well as another man who was arrested in Dordrecht a week ago in connection with the drugs shipment.
French customs officers said the cocaine, with an estimated value of €225 mln, was concealed among plastic waste in a container from Ghana.
The Telegraaf reported that the shipment belonged to Jos Leijdekkers, known as “Bolle Jos”, the Dutch drugs baron at the top of Europol’s list of most wanted fugitives. The cross-border police force has issued a €200,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
G.’s house was closed on the orders of local mayor Joerie Minses, who also ordered the man to stay out of the village for three months in an attempt to restore order.
Some 33 men of varying nationalities, including Dutch, French, Algerian and Belgian, were arrested in the wake of the shooting on September 1. Six were from the Amsterdam area. Some were caught while hiding in fields or trying to flee the area by car or train.
Judges ordered all but one of the suspects to be detained in custody for the next three months while investigations continue.
