Thirty-four arrested after fatal shootout in eastern Netherlands village

Dutch police have arrested 34 suspects following a pre-dawn shootout in Overasselt, a village near the German border. The incident occurred around 4 a.m. on Tuesday when a group of masked men opened fire as police arrived at a house to investigate suspicious activity. A 51 year old security guard was killed, and two police officers sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities seized several weapons, vehicles, and data storage devices at the scene.

Regional prosecutors stated that the group in custody is international, including nationals from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Algeria. The suspects face various charges, including murder, manslaughter, and preparing a kidnapping. Deputy chief prosecutor Monique Vinkesteijn noted that the shooting is linked to a longstanding conflict, as the same house was targeted in a shooting incident last year.

Local media have linked the violence to the criminal network of Jos Leijdekkers, a notorious drug lord known as Bolle Jos. Leijdekkers is one of the most wanted criminals in the Netherlands and has a prior conviction for international cocaine trafficking. Reports indicate he has lived in Sierra Leone for at least three years and is reportedly in a relationship with the daughter of President Julius Maada Bio. The newspaper Het Parool reported that the gunfight stemmed from a conflict over several hundred kilograms of cocaine.

Dutch Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel condemned the horrific act of violence and noted the unprecedented number of people involved. Local mayor Joerie Minses described the extreme violence as totally unacceptable and un-Dutch.