Two more suspects arrested in Overasselt shooting inquiry

Two men have been arrested in Amsterdam during the investigation into a fatal shooting at a farmhouse in Gelderland.

Police said they had also recovered guns, including an automatic weapon, during searches of houses in the capital, Diemen and Hoofddorp on Tuesday.

A group of armed men descended on the small village of Overasselt in the early hours of September 1 and opened fire on a farmhouse, killing a security guard and injuring two police officers.

The man living in the house, 28-year-old Jan G., was arrested in Germany two weeks ago on suspicion of trying to smuggle cocaine through the port of Dunkirk.

He is believed to have been targeted as retribution for a stolen drugs shipment, according to a video that police obtained in the days afterwards.

Bolle Jos

The Telegraaf reported that the 1,283kg shipment belonged to “Bolle Jos” Leijdekkers, Europe’s most wanted criminal, who is believed to be living in Sierra Leone.

The arrest of the two suspects, aged 24 and 25, takes the total number of arrests to 36. Most of the others have appeared in court charged with murder or manslaughter.

Two of the suspects are minors aged 16 and 17, the rest are men from France, Netherlands, Algeria, Libya, Belgium and Ukraine – all aged between 18 and 32.

A third man, aged 19, was arrested at one of the houses raided by police. His connection to the gang is being investigated.