Message

Mr. Dennis Kaandorp, 21 November 2007
Maledives White Sands / Male

The arrest of my parents

Report of the arrest of my parents Jan Kaandorp and Ineke Van der Peet


Düsseldorf - Maldives, departure 12th of November 2007.

My parents parked the car near Düsseldorf at a Holiday Inn hotel. After parking the car, they left a copy of passports, tickets and their car keys at the reception. From there they were taken to the airport by Taxi. This is a service provided by this hotel. One night lodging and free parking for the car.

They were way too early at the airport and walked around to window shop a bit till they announced the flight. They went to the check in counter in the main departure terminal. This was between Number 234 and 239. It was still very early and at each counter was only one customer. My father walked to an empty counter but then he saw that it was business class. The girl said that it was ok and they could check in their luggage. Just before they walked to this counter they saw a bigger German man just walking away from the counter. My parents checked in their luggage. All together 2 suitcases with the total weight of 40kg’s. After checking in they went to the West Union and exchanged 50 dollars. After that they walked slowly to the gate. At the last check-up they realized they left sun cream and lotion in one of the hand luggage bags!! Customs send them back to the check in counter where they gave the bag. This time long rows but the same lady at business class told them to come to her counter and she checked that bag in too. This time no Passport was needed and only boarding pass was enough. They left after that straight for the gate. They had to be there at 19:15 and were early. The same girl from Business class counter took their boarding card and ticket at the gate and wished them a good flight.

After a sleepless night they arrived in Male, got their Visa and waited for their bags. The bag they checked in at last came first and after that they waited for the other two. They came not much later on the belt. With the 3 bags they went through customs without any problems. Outside they were welcomed by the White Sand Resort & spa Airport Rep.

He helped them check in at the Maldivian Air Taxi counter and took them to the bus and the MAT lounge. Here they waited another 2 hours in the VIP lounge before the seaplane left. There was a stop in Ranveli and then they arrived in White Sands were I say them after almost 5 months.

They went to the room. Changed we then went for a swim. After this I was called to the reception that police was on the island to search my parent’s luggage. There was a problem with a bag left at the airport under their names.
Then they searched the room without us actually knowing what was going on. We did ask that a lot and it took a long time before we knew more. Apparently they found a bag on Male airport with the name Kaandorp on the label. Our family name with the same passenger number. It was a black bag left behind on the belt with ammunition in it. Around 20 bullets as we were told. So my parents were the suspects of an arms trade. After 3 hours of searching we were told a new unit would arrive one hour later. The finally arrived very late around 20:00. That is 6 hours after the first team. During the search the documented everything with video camera’s and pictures. The new unit had to do this search again! Document it again as well. I send my parents after that to eat. They only had breakfast the day before. I stayed with the police. After the second search they could finally show me the luggage label and actually show that the name Kaandorp was on it. This is when we realized this was true and how serious it was. In the bag which is black was a small box with riffle bullets. The bag is a triangle shaped bag as far as I could see. In there is a box with German text for bullets. These are probably for a hunting riffle. Riffle bullets. There was also a yellow colored receipt for a Mr. Wittfeld in the bag. The receipt was of a riffle or guns club. The name “Wittfeld” was on the top and then a stamp that said paid on somewhere in May I think 2006. The process took all evening. The police was sitting in the lobby of the hotel discussing among each other on what to do next.
In this time I spoke with Lola from L-TUR who was seeing what she could do in this matter. At this point there was not much she could do then just wait and get some more information. Maybe she could have contacted her head office in Germany which I think she did.
The end of the evening the hotel management finally got permission to let my parents sleep first. We send them to bed at around 22:30.
The police was planning to do a statement that night.
They did not sleep for almost 29 hours and went through this completely jetlagged and exhausted. We are happy that last moment we could change the time of the statement.
Same time the logical decision was taken to collect their passports. I waited with the police for a written statement saying they seized the passports. This took some time and I finally went to bed at 00:30 after an intense and tiring day.

My room which is located in the staff area was searched the following morning. Again everything was recorded by film and pictures.
We had a statement planned at 10:00 in my parents’ bungalow. Apparently it was necessary not to stick to this appointment and let them wait even longer.
After checking my room where nothing was found again, we went to my parents’ room.
Then suddenly my parents were told that they were under arrest and had to come with the police to Male. The hotel management of course tried to protect the customer but the decision was already made so we had no chance in chancing this.
We agreed to come with the police just as willingly as we cooperated in all events that already took place the day before.
LTU had made an official report to the Police that Mr Kaandorp had checked in 4 bags. LTU did not even check out anything else. This was the evidence they provided and not willing to check out any further.
I received permission to come with my parents and help them through this painful and unnecessary event. The police was very nice and very friendly to let me come too.
We do understand that this is a matter of national security. We understand every step the police had taken so far. We can only help to resolve this matter as soon as possible.
During this morning Lola informed my by text message (not a personal call) that L-TUR could do nothing for my parents and that it was now in police hands. I replied with a text message that they can at least find out what happened at there Base and partner LTU in Düsseldorf. Someone there managed to make this mistake and this nightmare. As partner they share responsibility.

After a boat trip of over two and half hours we finally arrived in Male around 14:00 and were brought to Male Police Head quarters where they were officially charged and placed under arrest.
The police officers from the “serious crime unit” let us wait in a small room for the time being to do anything possible to resolve this matter.
Finger prints were taken at the police station. Then my mother was released. We stayed with my father who at that time needed all moral support he could get. The luggage was checked in under my father’s name. That is why he would remain under arrest. This was a very nice gesture and good formality made by the Police in Male.

We spend the rest of the day in the Male sitting in the police station trying to kill time and making phone calls to find a way to resolve this.

My brother and sister in the mean time spend there entire day searching and trying to find ways to prove my parents innocence. They were not helped at first by any of the official ways.
My sister Tessa used to work at the LL (lost luggage) of KLM. She is aware of how the system works and how to read it.
With her friends and contact, she managed to find a lost luggage report for a mister Wittfeld in Windhoek, Namibia. My mother told her the same gate had a flight to Windhoek so the link was there. Especially, many people are going to Namibia for hunting. This would need bullets which apparently can move cross borders with a license. By looking in the luggage tracker which is a world wide system for lost luggage there was a note that mister “Wittfeld” reported that his bag was missing with the same tag number as the tag with the bag with ammunition. I told her the name Wittfeld I saw on the picture of the evidence. We realized that this was for us a link to give to the police to see how they could take this a step further.

With the help of the Royal Dutch Embassy in Sri Lanka represented by ms. Nicole van der Kooij this information was also given to the Dutch Foreign Affairs ministry in the Netherlands. They also understood by then my parents were innocent. Then they had contact with my sister to resolve this.

On our own behalf we decided not to sit still and managed to track Mr. Wittfield to a Lodge in the Kalahari Desert where we tried to contact him. He was out hunting and not expected to be back till the afternoon there. These numbers were also given to all parties who were trying to resolve this.

We did have a lost luggage report which was an internal report and not official by LTU. For some reason the LTU did not want to give us an official statement or report. From the Ministry of foreign affairs we were notified that they even alert the German Police to put pressure on LTU to come up with an official Lost Luggage report so we can get my innocent parents out of jail.

There is only one to blame in this matter. That would be LTU. They made this mistake and ruined a holiday, feeling and gave even personal grieve. My parents are peaceful and law obeying citizens. They never did anything wrong. Still LTU needed more then one and half days to realize this and actually do something. Statements were not given. Rapports not released. Even our calls were answered rudely. My sister was shouted at several phone calls and told not to call back.

This whole mess took place over the rest of the day till finally at 22:30 a Mr. Aboo walked in the police office. He is the representative from LTU in the Maldives. He had an internal email addressed to him that there was a mix up and the bag did not belong to my father or parents. Again this is addressed to Mr. Aboo and not to me, my parents nor the police. Mr. Aboo is known by several police members and this cleared my parents who were released from that point.

At the same time Mr. Wittfeld send a full report with copy of passport, statement and supporting documents to testify for my father’s release. He also contacted the Dutch police for the fire arms license. He did everything possible to resolve it.

At the same time the Dutch Foreign affairs was still trying to get an official statement from LTU.

Still there is no official report or apology to my parents or our family.

Our next company to blame would be L-TUR. This is the travel agent of my parents who after the first call said to look into it. The next morning by text message told that it’s out of their hands and in the mean time not even checked with us how it was going. Later was told that they actually called the resort for an update on the situation. You would expect this the other way around. Especially with their representative present in Male. After I text her back that they were released I was answered with a simple text that ended. Just bad luck.

Just the luck of good friends and hard investigating work got my parents out. As was told by the police, without our own effort my parents could have spent a long time in jail.



Dennis Kaandorp


White Sands Resort & Spa
Maldives
17-11-2007

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