Justice has collected a sensitive blow in the investigation into the Maastricht watch robbery at jeweler Burger. Lazar J. (53), the only suspect detained for the multi-million dollar job, has been released.
Serbian Lazar, alias Willy, is suspected along with three compatriots and Bosnian Nasuf R. in the Christmas Eve 2018 robbery.
Gang from Yugoslavia
A total of 1.3 million euros worth of watches was stolen. Several police informants soon pointed to a criminal gang from the former Yugoslavia. Darko D. was said to be the leader of the group, which was further said to consist of Lazar, Nasuf, Denis M. and Slavisa N.
Large sausages
This quintet was staying at Hotel Du Pont in Maasmechelen around the time of the million-dollar robbery. Lazar's phone also made contact with a Maastricht transmitter mast on the afternoon before the burglary at the jewelry store. He also does not deny that he was in Maasmechelen and Maastricht. According to his lawyer Justin Luiten, he visited the Maastricht Christmas market that afternoon, to "eat big sausages.
Obese suspect
Furthermore, Lazar travels throughout Europe for his work as a car dealer, Luiten claims. In addition, the lawyer points to his client's physique. In terms of appearance, the obese Serb does not match the athletically built men seen on camera footage. Because apart from tips from anonymous witnesses and his presence in Maastricht, there are no concrete cases linking Lazar to the million-dollar robbery, he was allowed to leave the prison in Sittard on Thursday.
Quite thin
The judge called the evidence in the case "rather thin, to say the least. Justice says it has nothing else at the moment, but hopes to gather more evidence once the other suspects are arrested. It is no abc't that they will ever see the inside of a Dutch cell, however, because they are in home country Serbia. That country does not extradite its own nationals. Within a few weeks, the Justice Department plans to tie the knot. If the other suspects do not come to the Netherlands by then, the case threatens to founder.
