Amsterdam shootout and amazing hunt: 1 dead

The Hague | Local police said a suspected thief was killed, two injured and seven people arrested on Wednesday after a spectacular exchange of gunfire and pursuit north of Amsterdam.

The news, which kept the Netherlands in suspense all evening, began around 2:15 pm (12:15 GMT). Armed men attacked – about a dozen according to the media – a car transporting goods near a precious metal company north of the Dutch capital.

Several Dutch media outlets report that the car that was attacked was carrying a large cargo of gold and diamonds valued at around 50 million euros.

Police said the suspects then fled in two vehicles to the small village of Brooke in Waterland, and were chased by dozens of policemen.

“It’s a situation that doesn’t happen every year,” a police spokesman said.

Videos broadcast by Dutch media showed a car crashing into a park and fugitives, all dressed in black, rushing to a nearby meadow.

The footage also shows scenes of chaos, with helicopters flying over battles between police and robbers under a dark sky, and a column of smoke rising from a burning car.

A police spokesman confirmed that the police personnel who had been mobilized used their firearms. However, he said, it has not been established at this stage whether the bullets that killed one of the suspected robbers and injured two others came from the police.