.
bron: Chiel Timmermans 09-02-23, 10:01 Laatste update: 11:55
Corrupt Dutch Privatedetective arrested” I warned him”
A private detective from Limburg, Gilbert S., has been arrested for allegedly leaking sensitive information from police files to Belgium’s biggest drug criminal. He also allegedly had detectives and prosecutors under observation. Private detectives in the Netherlands are regularly approached by criminals, as one detective states, “That ‘former classmate’ I had to track turned out to be the president of a motorcycle club.”
The police had been keeping an eye on Gilbert S., a 54-year-old Limburg resident, due to a cocaine transport in Antwerp. The man he assisted was believed to be drug boss Flor B., considered the biggest drug criminal in Belgium. The Flemish man, who is linked to various cocaine transports, is said to have engaged in business with Jos ‘Bolle Jos’ L. The man from Breda was placed on the list of most wanted criminals in Europe in September.
It is early October 2022 when Gilbert S. is hanging around a warehouse in Wilrijk, next to Antwerp. At that moment, a truck arrives with a container that was unloaded earlier that day at the port of Rotterdam. The cargo contains 1,200 kilograms of cocaine. Or at least, that was the intention. However, the Dutch customs authorities intercepted the drugs, and a quartet of smugglers falls right into the trap set by law enforcement agencies. Gilbert S. is also arrested because the police suspect his involvement in the transportation.
Undercover Agent
Gilbert S. is released shortly after with an ankle monitor. What he doesn’t know is that an undercover agent is sent after him. This leads to a new arrest last week. The Belgian media then reveals the suspicions against him: the Limburg detective is accused of having detectives and prosecutors under observation. He allegedly obtained information from police systems through his contacts and passed it on to Flor B. Sven Mary, S.’s Belgian lawyer, declines to comment on the allegations.
Flor B. was the most wanted criminal in Belgium for a long time but was arrested a year ago in an apartment in Switzerland. The Flemish man, also known as ‘The Finger Snapper’ due to a violent incident, is believed to be involved in numerous drug transports in Belgium. His name has also come up in police files in the Netherlands.
For example, he is linked to the discovery of €12.5 million in cash stored in an apartment in Eindhoven. It was one of the most remarkable finds by the police in 2020 after they had been able to intercept months of messages from criminals by cracking the Encrochat phone service.
In a flat on Paradijslaan in Eindhoven, €12.5 million was found in a hidden compartment. It was packed in fifteen big shoppers. © Police
Cargo Thefts
The fact that Gilbert S. may have carried out assignments for the notorious Flor surprises many. Some colleagues spoke to him after his first arrest. “He told me he had been hired by a transport company to check if the drivers were involved in cargo thefts,” says Erwin Klingestijn from the RBZ investigative agency. “He said he was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. I would be surprised if he was involved in illegal activities.” I warned Gilbert: don’t accept dubious requests. It hurts to think he may have done so anyway.
However, there is also skepticism in the industry after hearing his explanation. “He had told me stories about dubious assignments before, like having to pick up valuable items somewhere abroad,” says a private detective who wishes to remain anonymous. “I don’t believe that story about his assignment for the transport entrepreneur. That’s nonsense. I warned him to stop doing it.”
Gilbert S. was born in South Limburg, where his detective agency is also located, but he has been
living just across the border for many years. Fellow Limburger Ben Zuidema, who has been in the profession for over sixty years, trained him as a private detective. “I was astonished when I heard the news,” he says. “I warned him, like all my students, not to accept dubious requests. It hurts to think he may have done so.”
Checking License Plates
Private investigation agencies have numerous examples of how they have been approached by criminals. The simplest example is when they are asked to check a license plate. Sometimes the request seems innocent, as one detective explains, “Someone wanted to get back in touch with a former classmate, and they asked me to locate them. It turned out that ‘former classmate’ was the president of a motorcycle club. I immediately contacted the police. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for putting that man in danger.” That ‘former classmate’ I had to track turned out to be the president of a motorcycle club.
John Vullers from JohnV Detectives also received dubious requests. “An acquaintance from the underworld approached me asking if I could bring money from abroad to the Netherlands through a certain arrangement. I refused because I immediately realized it involved money laundering.” According to Vullers, it helps that he mainly receives assignments from companies. “If there are any dubious requests, they mostly come from individuals, not companies. If you are struggling to make ends meet, it makes you more vulnerable.”
To start a private investigation agency in the Netherlands, one must apply for a license from the Ministry of Justice and Security. The application process also involves a background check. Currently, approximately 420 companies hold this license. To conduct actual investigations, one must pass an exam. During the training, private detectives learn that they have hardly more rights than other citizens. They are not allowed to break into someone’s property, eavesdrop on people at their homes, or use tracking devices.
Going Beyond the Rules
In practice, however, these rules are sometimes breached, as revealed in the 2016 television program RamBam. The program managed to entice several private detectives into going beyond what is allowed. Gilbert S. was among them. The Limburg detective attached a tracking device under the car of one of the program’s participants who was pretending to cheat on their partner. The use of such a GPS tracker on someone else’s car is prohibited.
The ministry does not disclose whether that misstep had consequences at the time. They have the authority to revoke licenses in case of violations. The exact frequency of such revocations is unclear. However, according to the industry association, it is rare. The ministry does not reveal whether Gilbert S. may face the same fate after his arrest.
The infrequent revocations of licenses are also due to limited oversight. There are several cowboys operating in the industry, but they often go unnoticed during police checks. “They come to see if you keep your documents in order, ensure everything is secure, and if you have work,” explains John Vullers. “You don’t have to disclose your investigations. It is challenging, but there should be slightly stricter regulations.”
Ben Zuidema agrees, stating, “Because cases like Gilbert’s tarnish the entire industry.”
