Netherlands: Who Is Robin Van O.?

Dentist’s chair with straps in sea container converted into a torture chamber

The big news out of the Netherlands yesterday was the announcement of the arrest of 6 men and the discovery of 7 sea containers outfitted as holding cells and a torture chamber. The principle arrestee is a 40-year-old Dutchman identified only as Robin van O. (Names of suspects are not published until conviction.) Robin van O. is believed to be the leader of an alliance of drug gangs centered in Brabant, Southern Netherlands. Many of Robin van O’s associates are identified as Moroccan Mafia members. It is believed that the alliance was formed against Ridouan Taghi head of an Amsterdam-based Moroccan Mafia also involved in the drug traffic. (He is awaiting trial.)

The below article from Bovennieuws gives further information on Robin van O. and his Moroccan associates. Translation by Fousesquawk.

https://www.boevennieuws.pro/nieuws/robin-van-o-man-achter-onderwereldgevangenis-zelf-al-lange-tijd-doelwit-criminelen/

Robin van O.-The man behind the underworld prison himself longtime target of the criminals
-July 7, 2020

One of the men arrested in the investigation into the underworld prison in  Wouwse Plantage (Brabant) is the 40-year-old Robin van O. The sports gym owner, originally from Utrecht, was arrested in the Hague on June 22. Robin van O. is not unknown in the criminal circles. He has often been identified as the right-hand (man) of Mustapha F., was one of the men behind the Los Pepes alliance against Ridouan Taghi, and his name surfaced in the investigation into the mysterious disappearance of June Churisan Allen.

Underworld Prison

The police discovered the warehouse with 7 containers intended for torture and locking up fellow criminals through the investigation into Robin van O. That investigation began in April with the suspicion that he was involved in drug dealing and an attempted murder. He led, according to the police, an existence under the radar, but financial investigation revealed that he probably used a warehouse in Wouwse Plantage. Just when the police turned their attention to the warehouse, they obtained access from another investigative team to important chat messages which the suspect sent and received with a encrypted telephone. The messages, sent via EncroChat, were intercepted live in the 26Lemont investigation, which was made public last week.

Robin van O.

That Robin van O. attempted to exist under the radar did not stop his enemies from trying to expose him. The push was so great that a special website was set up under the name crimebron.nl. Named after an old crime website, but not with the same owner as then. On the website, the sports gym owner was repeatedly linked to criminal activities. For example, according to the website, he is believed to be involved in the disappearance  of June Churisan Allen, the murder of Altan Soysal, and ties with Mustapha F. and Karim, alias Taxi (the brother of the murdered Samir Bouvakhrichan, alias Scarface). In addition to these well-known names, many lesser-known names were mentioned of people involved in Robin van O’s organization.

Attacks on gym

On paper, Robin van O seemed to be just a man with a gym in Utrecht. But that (the gym) was not his only source of income was suspected when two attacks were carried  on the premises of Elitefit on Nijverheidseweg. The first attack took place on the night of 17-18 November 2017, when an explosion occurred. Little over a week later, it was hit again. On the night of 27-28 November, the entrance to the gym was shot at. Robin van O. found the bullet holes in the gym’s rolling shutter the following morning.

Los Pepes

It likely caused him to join an alliance a few months later named Los Pepes. The group was thought to be set up at the time, according to their own words, because they were fed up with Ridouan Taghi’s reign of terror and is believed to consist of various criminal groups. At the start of 2018, the group left several messages on properties linked to Ridouan Taghgi and his companions.  Hamza Ziani also belonged to the alliance. He was shot to death in a restaurant in Torremolinos, Spain in October 2018.

Crimebron.nl

In the same month, Robert (sic?)van O. filed a lawsuit against the people behind the crimebron.nl website. In it, he demanded that his name and photo be removed from the website. Also that the website be completely taken offline. It has never been completely clear who was behind the website, but it was clear that the articles were mainly aimed at the gym owner. Addresses  were openly published in these articles, photos of his girlfriend posted, and he was accused of involvement in several murders, and he was said to be a criminal informant. Mustapha F. and Karim Bouyakichran frequently appeared in the publications.

Summary Proceedings

After the lawsuit brought by Robin van O.,  the website did not want to waver. The people behind the publications claimed to have much more information available. For example, more would be posted about the disappearance of June Churisan Allen. A disappearance in which Robin van O. has, indeed, been in the picture. June Churisan Allen, before his disappearance, worked in the Elitefit  gym. In addition, Robin van O. is said to have been involved  with the surveillance bus found in a warehouse in Montfoort.

The surveillance bus is said to have been used by different  parties but managed by Hamza Ziani on behalf of Mustapha F. He wanted to use the bus because he is said to have heard that there were threats from Radouan Taghi.  With the surveillance bus, he wanted to chart this threat. In spite of the requirement that the website be taken offline, the people behind  the website said there would be more information coming about the surveillance bus.

Rectification

It has not come to that. Because when the judge (found for) Robin van O., the website disappeared immediately. There is still a rectification to be seen. “This report is meant as official rectification. The editorial staff withdraws a number of reports because the reports in question are not based on any source, with no evidence, without any trial, without application of rebuttal, generally without any suspicion against the persons. The false statements had one purpose, namely damage to the reputation and good name of the concerned persons.”

Consequently, regrets are expressed and apologies are offered to Robin van O and his girlfriend. We hope you understand that it was never our aim to do that with a number of false reports about you, Robin van O and Elitefit. We now sincerely realize what we have done by our selfish action.”

Fellow suspects

With the disappearance of the crimebron.nl  website, Robin van O. also disappeared under the radar. Now it appears that he left for the Hague. Here, he and his companions  have thrown themselves into sea containers to be able to subject his criminal enemies to torture and imprisonment. In addition to Robin van O., there are five other suspects in custody. A 43-year-old accomplice from Rotterdam, a 44-year-old man from Nieuwegein, and three other suspects, who, since mid-April, worked on the sea containers. The men are suspected of preparing for hostage taking and kidnappings within the criminal environment.