John van den Heuvel: crypto telephone and balaclava in car detainee A2

Several telephones and a balaclava were found in the car of the suspect, who may have been chasing crime journalist John van den Heuvel. Van den Heuvel said that in RTL Boulevard, in which he responded to an incident around him on the A2 last Thursday.

One of the phones is a crypto phone, which can be used to send secure messages. Criminals often use it. “And why did he have a balaclava in his car? It was not very cold on Thursday,” said Van den Heuvel in RTL Boulevard. Possession of the attributes is not punishable, Van den Heuvel also says, but “that does not give the feeling that it was just a passer-by”.

According to Van den Heuvel, the suspect will also be included in the file of the Marengo trial against Ridouan Taghi. He may have performed odd jobs around liquidations.

When asked, the police do not want to confirm Van den Heuvel’s statements about what was found in the car.

‘Driven too fast’

The examining magistrate has ruled that the suspect will remain in prison longer. It is suspected that he prepared a serious crime. The suspect’s lawyer Veerle Hammerstein says there may be of a misunderstanding. Her client would not have known that Van den Heuvel was in the car. He had driven too fast and too close to other cars, she says. Van den Heuvel doubts that reading, but also says that he cannot yet prove that what Hammerstein says is incorrect.

He is being transported in a secured convoy for his safety. On their way to the highway from Amsterdam, his security officers got the impression that two motor scooters were chasing the convoy. A lot of speed was made and the sirens and flashing lights were switched on. Then an Audi arrived, containing the suspect.

Hammerstein says the police report does indeed state that other suspicious vehicles were seen. But her client would have nothing to do with that.

It was decided to transport Van den Heuvel to a secure location. The speed of the convoy rose to 200 kilometers per hour, says Van den Heuvel. Even at that moment the Audi did not give way, which further increased the suspicion. The driver was eventually stopped by the police and arrested.

–