A Dictionary of Dutchness

Holleeder

Willem Holleeder (born in 1958) is considered one of the Netherlands’’ biggest crime bosses. Nicknamed The Nose, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 1984 for his role in the kidnapping of beer magnate Freddie Heineken. After his release in 1992, Holleeder became a central figure in the Dutch underworld. Found guilty on several counts of blackmail in 2007, he is also suspected of ordering several underworld killings.