Council worker on trial for sale of data linked to explosions

A 47-year-old Amsterdam council worker is on trial for allegedly selling addresses and car registration numbers to criminals, leading to dozens of explosions, in the biggest case of its kind.

During the preliminary hearing on Wednesday, the public prosecutor accused the man of corruption and complicity in the explosions and several attacks, one of which involved a shooting.

Jim B, who was arrested in May, was described by his superiors at the credit and collection department at the Amsterdam municipal office where he worked as “involved, loyal and dependable”. At the same time, he allegedly traded in data from people across the country, which he said he sold for €50 a time. The prosecutor said it was probably significantly more because of the sensitive nature of the information.

Notes found at the house of B’s ex-partner showed registered amounts of over €100,000 and 2,625 “subjects”. Police also found an article about an explosion that could be linked to an address provided by B on a private phone. Other relevant information was found on his work phone.

B claimed he was put under pressure by criminals but the prosecutor said that was not borne out by the “loose and easy communication” between him and the buyers. “But bro, when are we are we settling the accounts. It’s a lot now (..). I have to supply x info every time and then I have to chase my money. I’m stopping if this goes on,” the AD quoted one of the messages.

The explosions took place in Rotterdam, Apeldoorn, Valkenburg, Leiden and Purmerend. In The Hague, a man was shot near a car park. All the incidents took place shortly after B had provided the information, making him complicit, including in an attempted murder, the public prosecutor said.

B has admitted to improperly accessing information on a computer. The case against him and two men who acted as middlemen will continue in October.

The Netherlands has been experiencing a spate of explosions, usually involving heavy fireworks. Police registered 678 attacks and attempted attacks on homes and business premises involving powerful fireworks in the first six months of this year, 34 more than in the same period last year.