Schijndel – On Saturday morning, a 43-year-old Polish man was arrested in Schijndel by the DSI. The man, a renowned former MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter, was sentenced to life imprisonment in Poland for a double murder committed in his hometown of Bedzin on New Year’s Eve 2005. He beat a man and a woman several times in their home with a blunt and sharp-edged object on the head with the intention of killing them. Both died as a result. 2 days after his act, he set fire to the couple’s apartment and fled.
Life imprisonment
He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019, which was declared irrevocable in 2021. According to the Polish authorities, the convicted person is said to have fled to the Netherlands and is hiding there under a false identity and may be working in construction. Polish authorities issued a European Arrest Warrant on June 20, 2021, so that foreign investigative authorities could start working on the case.
ENFAST
The case was given priority within the ENFAST network, the European network of specialized police teams dedicated to the investigation of fugitives. These teams provide each other with assistance and FAST Poland sought cooperation with FAST NL in October 2021. However, at that time the information turned out to be insufficient to find the right track. In November 2023, the case was placed on ‘Europe’s Most Wanted’ website and new clues emerged from Poland and the Netherlands, which strengthened the suspicion of his presence in the Netherlands. The Dutch Fugitive Active Search Team (FAST NL) got involved in the case and after intensive cooperation with FAST Poland, this led to the arrest of this long-term fugitive murderer today.
The detainee will be brought to trial and the court in Amsterdam will decide on his extradition to Poland.
Information source: Politie.nl
