At the end of February, colleagues from the National Expertise and Operations unit (LX) spotted a stolen car on the highway. The police followed the car to a warehouse in Nieuwe Pekela. There, several luxury cars were found. The warehouse was used to alter cars. This is a method to give stolen cars a new identity, making them untraceable to their rightful owners and allowing them to be resold. Various license plates, tools, phones, and keys were found in the warehouse. The police arrested three suspects: two men from Lithuania aged 19 and 39, and a 39-year-old Russian.

The LX conducted further investigations and was able to arrest a fourth suspect yesterday in Drachten. The 41-year-old man from Wolvega had a Range Rover with false license plates in a warehouse in Drachten. The cars and false license plates have been seized.

Combating crime on our infrastructure

Criminals exploit our infrastructure for the transport of narcotics, money, or illegal goods, but also for moving stolen vehicles. The Infrastructure Service of the LX combats insecurity and crime on the Dutch main infrastructure, on the railways, in aviation, on the water, and on the highways.