Netherlands, police ‘recruit’ departing tourists: “Criminals fleeing abroad reported”

The Dutch police ‘recruit’ tourists leaving for abroad, urging them to keep their eyes open once they reach their destination and to report the possible presence in the country of criminals wanted by the country’s justice and probably sheltered abroad: From today to July 31 at Schiphol, Eindhoven and Rotterdam airports, photographs of eight wanted criminals sentenced to prison terms of four years or more for crimes ranging from armed robbery to murder will be displayed on large screens. One of these fugitives was sentenced to life in prison. Police and prosecutors hope in this way to be able to locate some of these ‘most wanted’, which is not an easy feat for Dutch law enforcement agencies in countries that have different limitations or statutes or do not have extradition agreements with the Netherlands. “Nobody can hide forever and we won’t stop looking,” police officer Andy Kraag explained. “We will continue to hunt them using new methods. We will do everything necessary, so it would be better for them to surrender and serve their sentences”, explains the agent, who is part of a special unit, Fastnl, in charge of hunting to those sentenced who must still serve at least 300 days in prison or have to pay fines exceeding 10 thousand euros. “It is difficult for victims and relatives of those who have undergone the crimes to accept the fact that these criminals are abroad and are escaping their punishment,” explained a spokesman for the prosecution.