News report | 10-12-2025 | 13:49
The National Office (LP) of the Public Prosecution Service (OM) on Wednesday demanded an unconditional prison sentence of eight months and a fine against a 47-year-old man from Delft. He allegedly called 112 unnecessarily thousands of times, causing the 112 emergency center to be poorly reachable for an extended period. He tried to shift the blame onto three business partners with whom he had a conflict.
Between November 1 and 4, 2022, and December 19 and 21, 2022, a sudden huge increase in calls to the emergency number 112 was observed. During these two waves of attacks, the emergency number was called more than 11,000 times by dozens of different mobile numbers. This led to potentially life-threatening situations because the lines were temporarily blocked and waiting times became unacceptably high.
Investigation
Among other things, due to the frequency and the absence of location data of the callers, it was suspected that these were automated calls. Because this large increase in calls obstructed access to 112 and the emergency number is part of the Dutch vital infrastructure, an investigation was initiated under the leadership of the LP by the High Tech Crime Team (THTC) of the National Enforcement and Intervention Unit (LO).
Raids and arrests
Further investigation by THTC specialists eventually led to raids at homes in Amsterdam and Vught at different times. A characteristic of both DDoS attacks was that they were automated via a network of simboxes, computers, and control panels from various physical locations. During the raids, the police found this type of equipment. Hundreds of SIM cards and multiple simboxes were seized. Three men were initially identified and questioned as suspects.
Business partners
Together with another man, the trio appeared to be involved in a small company dealing with SIM cards and phone number rentals. The three allegedly had a business conflict with that other man, and during the investigation, suspicion arose that not the detained trio but this man from Delft was responsible for the DDoS attacks. He allegedly remotely used the equipment of his business partners, apparently to get the police on their backs. Investigation of the suspects laptop, simboxes, desktop, and phone revealed information indicating his involvement in the attacks. The man was eventually arrested on May 1, 2023, and released after a few days pending further investigation. The case against the other three was dropped by the OM.
He accepted that the 112 emergency center, as a Dutch acute emergency facility, could become unreachable and took great risks.
Vital infrastructure
The OM holds the suspect very accountable for approaching the dispute with his business partner in this manner: An adult person is expected to talk out a dispute or, if that is no longer possible, to resolve it in a normal way. He accepted that the 112 emergency center, as a Dutch acute emergency facility, could become unreachable and took great risks. Society must be able to rely on the emergency facility being stable, reliable, and accessible. Large-scale abuse of this is socially disruptive both nationally and internationally since 112 is the emergency number for all of Europe, the public prosecutor stated in court.
Prison sentence
Precisely because this concerns a critical operational infrastructure that was attacked multiple times and because the suspect continued after the first wave of attacks, the OM finds a prison sentence appropriate and necessary in this case. Apart from the DDoS attacks, a baton and a gas pistol were found at the suspects home, and it was established that he drove without a license. The man also had to answer for these offenses today.
The OM demands a prison sentence of eight months and a fine of 400 euros.
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