Dutch police have arrested a man for the murder of lawyer Derk Wiersum last month. He was arrested at a private home on Tuesday but police have not said where or given any further details.

Last week police said that the man who shot the lawyer dead outside his home had made his escape in a white van.

That van has since been found – an Opel Combo with forged number plates. Police are now appealing for people who may have seen the van, number plate VN-927-V in Amsterdam or Almere.

Police said they expected more arrests will follow and that a large team of detectives are working on the case round the clock.

Wiersum was acting for Nabil B, a key witness in a major drugs trial revolving around on-the-run gangster Ridouan Taghi.

The killing has been described as a ‘new, dark phase’ of the increasingly deadly underworld drug wars and prompted justice minister Ferd Grapperhaus to pledge tough new measures against drug criminals.