Former Dutch Justice Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus has been placed under increased security after threats against his life were deemed “serious”.
It is thought that the threats were made by organised crime gangs, a spokesman for the Dutch public prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday, confirming a report in the daily Het Parool.
According to the newspaper, Mr Grapperhaus’ security was tightened on Wednesday morning. The public prosecutor’s office did not give further details. The threat is believed to come from Jos Lijdekkers, known as ‘Bolle Jos’, who is wanted in the Netherlands as a major figure in the global cocaine trade, the newspaper said.
The man is suspected of having imported tons of drugs via the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. Lijdekkers has been on the Netherlands’ most-wanted list since May 2022.
