Five suspects in TEFAF robbery wanted internationally
Dutch police and prosecutors place the five Serbian suspects on European wanted lists.
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Five suspects in the jewellery robbery at the TEFAF art fair in Maastricht have been added to the European list of most wanted fugitives. Police and the Public Prosecution Service hope the international alert will lead to their arrest.
The suspects are four men and one woman from Serbia. Police are making their identities public because, according to the investigation, they were involved in the robbery on 28 June 2022. The suspects have been the subject of an international alert since April and are also on the Dutch wanted list.
The robbers entered the fair at the time and took jewellery from display cases. According to police and prosecutors, the value of the haul ran into millions. Three of the stolen diamonds have since been recovered: one in Botswana, one in Hong Kong and one in Israel.
Dutch law enforcement agencies suspect that the suspects are in Serbia, possibly in the vicinity of Niš or Belgrade. According to the Public Prosecution Service, arresting them in Serbia is difficult because the country does not extradite its own citizens. The authorities therefore hope that one of the suspects will be arrested while travelling in another country.
The investigation also uncovered a possible earlier attempt to rob TEFAF in 2020. One of the suspects is said to be linked to it on the basis of information from Sky ECC, the encrypted messaging service whose intercepted communications are used by police and prosecutors.
A reward of 20,000 euros has been offered for information leading to the arrest of one of the suspects. Police stress that the five suspects are wanted on suspicion of involvement; they have not been convicted.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Five suspects are the subject of an international alert and have been placed on European and Dutch wanted lists.
- The suspects have not been convicted.
- The Public Prosecution Service has offered a reward of 20,000 euros.
Left
Arguments Typically emphasises that international organised crime requires strong cooperation, better investigative capacity and effective cross-border prosecution.
Values Equality before the law, protection of victims and access to justice.
Consequences Warns that prolonged time on the run can undermine confidence in the rule of law and international enforcement.
Centre
Arguments Emphasises that wanted lists and international cooperation are useful tools, but that arrests and prosecutions must take place within rule-of-law procedures.
Values Legal certainty, proportionality and institutional diligence.
Consequences Points out that public alerts can generate tips, but also carry risks of mistakes or vigilantism.
Right
Arguments Emphasises a tough approach to cross-border gangs, faster information-sharing and pressure on countries that do not extradite suspects.
Values Public order, security and protection of property.
Consequences Fears that procedural and diplomatic constraints can keep perpetrators out of reach for a long time.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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 a current publication by police and the Public Prosecution Service. Background information about the robbery and recovered diamonds was checked against an earlier NOS publication.
- confirmed Five suspects were added to the European Most Wanted list on 29 October 2026. — Reported by police and the Public Prosecution Service. source
- confirmed They are four men and one woman from Serbia. — Reported by police and the Public Prosecution Service. source
- confirmed Three stolen diamonds have been recovered. — Reported by police and the Public Prosecution Service. source
- confirmed Serbia does not extradite its own citizens. — Stated in the police and Public Prosecution Service’s explanation accompanying the alert. source
Editor's note
It is certain that five suspects were added to European and Dutch wanted lists on 29 October 2026. Their whereabouts and actual involvement still have to be established by a court.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „tefaf maastricht”
- NOS — „tefaf maastricht”
- Het Parool — „tefaf maastricht”