Suspect linked to murder of Dutch journalist arrives in Netherlands after arrest on Caribbean island

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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A man arrested in Curacao on suspicion of involvement in a criminal gang linked to the murder of Dutch journalist Peter R. de Vries arrived in The Netherlands on Tuesday to face justice, prosecutors said.

The national prosecutor’s office said in a statement that the man, whose identity was not released, played a “leading role” in a criminal gang that is thought to be behind the brazen shooting of De Vries on July 6, 2021, on a busy Amsterdam street. The popular pioneering journalist died nine days later of his injuries, aged 64.

The suspect, who has been incarcerated in Curacao, a former Dutch colony, since 2014, was arrested on Monday, prosecutors said in a statement. No detail was given why he was in a detention center on the Caribbean island.

He is scheduled to appear before a magistrate in Amsterdam, prosecution spokesperson Brechtje van de Moosdijk told The Associated Press.

The man is the latest suspect detained in the investigation into the killing of De Vries. An Amsterdam court convicted three men in June 2024 of murder for their roles in the shooting that sent a shockwave through the country. Three others were convicted of complicity in the murder.

While the motive for the killing remains unknown, there is speculation that it was linked to a string of gangland hits in and around the Dutch capital. Although gang leader Ridouan Taghi has been convicted of ordering some of them, he has not been charged in De Vries’ killing.

De Vries had been an adviser and confidant for a protected witness in the trial of the alleged leader and other members of a crime gang. The brother and lawyer of the witness were both murdered.

Taghi was convicted of his role in five gangland killings and sentenced to life in prison in February. Judges called him the “undisputed leader” of a “murder organization.” Taghi has appealed the convictions.