Prosecution seeks six years in prison for alleged fake police officer
The 23-year-old suspect allegedly defrauded older people in dozens of cases.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
The Public Prosecution Service on Tuesday sought a six-year prison sentence for a 23-year-old man from Nieuwegein. He is suspected of posing as a fake police officer 38 times and of belonging to a criminal organisation.
The criminal case concerns fraud in, among other places, the Frisian towns of Balk and Lemmer. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the suspect played an active role in approaching victims between September 2024 and June 2025.
According to the prosecution, the method was repeatedly similar. Victims were allegedly told by telephone that the police were investigating burglaries in the area. Their valuables supposedly had to be checked or temporarily secured.
Someone would then allegedly appear at the door to collect jewellery, bank cards or cash. The Public Prosecution Service refers to dozens of victims and total proceeds of tens of thousands of euros. According to reports from the hearing, the suspect denies or disputes the allegations.
The Public Prosecution Service suspects the man not only of separate fraud offences, but also of participation in a criminal organisation. The prosecution is thereby asserting that he did not act independently, but was part of a structured operation.
The case illustrates how fake police officers exploit trust in the police. The police stress that genuine officers never come to collect money, bank cards or jewellery supposedly to keep them safe. If in doubt, people can check themselves via 112 whether a police visit is genuine.
The six-year sentence sought is not a ruling. The court still has to assess which facts can be proven and precisely what role the suspect played. Until then, he remains a suspect.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s core is based on the Public Prosecution Service and an independent summary of the hearing. The sentence is clearly presented as a demand, not a conviction.
- confirmed The Public Prosecution Service sought six years in prison for a 23-year-old man from Nieuwegein. — Mentioned in reports from the hearing. source
- confirmed The suspect is linked to 38 fake police officer incidents. — Reports from the hearing mention 38 cases. source
- confirmed The suspicion concerns, among other places, Balk and Lemmer during the period from September 2024 to June 2025. — This is stated in the Public Prosecution Service’s agenda. source
- confirmed The police do not collect valuables from people’s homes. — The police explicitly warn against this. source
Editor's note
The hearing, the suspicion and the sentence sought have been confirmed. The court still has to assess the facts and the alleged organisational role.Sources
- Nepagent steelt geld en sieraden van tientallen slachtoffers — Openbaar Ministerie
- 38 keer nepagent ingezet; OM eist 6 jaar cel — Nieuwskoerier
- Hoe herken ik een nepagent? — Politie
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „nepagenten oplichting”
- Trouw — „nepagenten oplichting”
- NRC — „nepagenten oplichting”