Justice suspects two Albanian men shot at police officers when they were arrested in Sittard. The suspects themselves claim otherwise.
On November 23, 2017, an arrest team raided a drug premises on Nusterweg in Sittard. A hemp plantation was found in the premises. During the raid, police came under fire.
Eight arrests
Eight people were arrested in this action at the time. Since then, only two suspects remain. They are a 43-year-old man and his 49-year-old companion. The former does not deny that he was present in the nursery. "He says he was present in the nursery as one of the employees when the police raided it. My client indicates that he had nothing to do with the shooting," said attorney Sixten Bordewijk.
Firearms found
"At the time of the police raid, my client and his colleagues thought a burglary was taking place. Then someone apparently shot at them. Many people from outside joined in for the shooting incident. Someone contacted one of the nursery employees and he then came to the nursery with a number of people," Bordewijk continued. Incidentally, two firearms were found at the scene.
For now behind bars
The two suspects remain in custody for now, the judge decided Friday. The judge indicated that shots were fired with the intent to hit officers. That surprised Bordewijk. "During previous sessions, the court indicated that it agrees with the defense," he said. The substantive hearing will take place on Sept. 13 at 10 a.m.. The verdict will follow two weeks later.
