Escaped Brussels gangster (27) arrested for spectacular robbery of money transport in Amsterdam | Abroad
The Brussels gangster Ibrahim Akhlal (27) was arrested last week in Conakry, the capital of the Republic of Guinea. He lived in hiding in the African country after finishing internationally before his establishment in a violent robbery of a money transport in May 2021 in Amsterdam. A year earlier he had escaped from the prison of Sint-Gillis where he was serving a 21-year prison sentence for a series of robberies.
LOOK. Images show a wild chase after the robbery, even in a backyard
The Fugitive Active Search Team (FAST) and the federal judicial police of Brussels were able to trace him in Guinea. For example, a collaboration was established with the Guinean police services. In the night of December 16 to 17, Akhlal is arrested by the Guinean judicial police, the DCPJ. He was on his way to a nightclub when he was intercepted. he will probably be extradited to Belgium soon.
Akhlal has to serve a total of 21 years in our country for series of four brutal robberies. In March 2020, he managed to escape from Saint-Gilles prison.
Stolen Porsche and machine guns
The Dutch judiciary is also particularly interested in Akhlal for his operation in a violent robbery on a gold transport in Amsterdam. On May 19, 2021, the gang broke open the gate of the Schöne Edelmetaal company in Amsterdam with a stolen Porsche Cayenne. Masked men with machine guns threatened the staff and took off in several getaway cars with gold bars and precious metals worth 12 million euros.
After a wild chase in which shots were fired and a gangster was shot dead, the police were able to round up the gang. Three suspects escaped.
Detection
At the beginning of March of this year, the police distributed the description of the fugitives via Opsporing Verzoeken in the Netherlands and the investigation program FAROEK. Ibrahim Akhlal had already been identified at that time but was missing. In November last year, FAST was able to apprehend another fled robber in Serbia.
LOOK. A 36-year-old man suspected of the spectacular robbery was also arrested in France
The investigation revealed that the gang used two safehouses in Belgium. For example, an apartment in the Collegelaan in Borgerhout played a crucial role, said Christophe Bulinckx of the federal police in the investigation program FAROEK. In the apartment, the investigators found automatic weapons, small arms, balaclavas, bulletproof vests, a grinder and nails to puncture tires.
The gang also had a place in the Jozef Van Damstraat in Zaventem. At least one of the gang members would have lived in hiding for at least a month. The investigation also revealed that other gang members and the cars used in the robbery were spotted there. Of the loot, 4 million euros are still being sought.
In the meantime, the trial against the gang of robbers has started in the Netherlands. The public prosecutor demanded prison sentences of up to 18 years. For Akhlal, the trial comes too late. He will be tried separately for his part.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.