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Kidnapping of Freddy Heineken and Ab Doderer

SOLVED1983Weteringplantsoen, Amsterdam3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
File:Freddy Heineken en Ab Doderer (1983).jpg
File:Freddy Heineken en Ab Doderer (1983).jpg — Credit: Rob Croes for Anefo · CC BY-SA 3.0 nl

Freddy Heineken, chairman of the board and CEO of Heineken International and one of the wealthiest people in the Netherlands, was kidnapped together with his driver, Ab Doderer, on 9 November 1983. The two men were seized at 18:56 in front of Heineken's office at the Weteringplantsoen in Amsterdam, after earlier attempts to abduct them at Heineken's home in Noordwijk had failed when the men did not appear there.

The kidnapping had been planned for about two years by Cor van Hout, Willem Holleeder, Frans Meijer, and Jan Boellaard, with Martin Erkamps joining the plot later. Heineken and Doderer were held for three weeks in a Quonset hut belonging to Boellaard's wood manufacturing company at the De Heining business park in Westpoort, in Amsterdam's harbour area. The hut had been modified in advance with a false double wall concealing two soundproof cells behind a hidden door, which shortened its 42-meter interior by four meters without the change being noticed. Outside working hours, the kidnappers provided for their two captives, who were tethered to a wall with chains.

On 30 November 1983, Heineken's family paid a ransom of 35 million Dutch guilders (about US$18 million), against police advice, and the two men were released. The kidnappers fled the area before freeing their captives; police located Heineken and Doderer alive following what is described as a "lucky lead." In the aftermath, Van Hout and Holleeder escaped and fled to Paris, where French police arrested them on 29 February 1984.

Van Hout and Holleeder resisted extradition to the Netherlands for more than three years, a period spent on the run, in French custody, and then under house arrest in a French hotel from 6 December 1985 while a change to the extradition treaty was pending. In February 1986 they were moved through a series of French Caribbean territories, including Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy, the French side of Saint Martin, and Île Tintamarre, before being returned to Europe and eventually extradited to the Netherlands on 31 October 1986. Meijer fled to Paraguay and lived there for years until he was located by journalist Peter R. de Vries and imprisoned in Paraguay; in 2003 he stopped resisting extradition and was transferred to a Dutch prison to serve the remainder of his sentence. All five kidnappers were eventually caught and served prison terms.

The kidnapping, the manhunt that followed, and the later trials and extraditions drew sustained national attention in the Netherlands, and several of the kidnappers later became well-known figures in Dutch organized crime. Van Hout was jailed again shortly after his release, this time for four years, for his role in a drug-smuggling ring. After two earlier failed attempts on his life, he was assassinated in Amstelveen on 24 January 2003, about a year after being freed a second time. His funeral, described as "mafia-style," included a white hearse drawn by eight Friesian horses leading a procession of fifteen white limousines.

Key facts

Victims
Freddy Heineken, Ab Doderer
Date
1983
Location
Weteringplantsoen, Amsterdam
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1983-11-09

    Freddy Heineken and his driver Ab Doderer are kidnapped in front of Heineken's office at the Weteringplantsoen in Amsterdam.

  2. 1983-11-30

    Heineken and Doderer are released after Heineken's family pays a ransom of 35 million Dutch guilders (about US$18 million), against police advice.

  3. 1984-02-29

    Cor van Hout and Willem Holleeder, who fled to Paris after the ransom was paid, are arrested by French police.

  4. 1985-12-06

    Van Hout and Holleeder are placed under house arrest in a French hotel while a change to the extradition treaty is pending.

  5. 1986-02-13

    Van Hout and Holleeder are transferred from house arrest to a series of French Caribbean territories, including Guadeloupe, Saint Barthélemy, French Saint Martin, and Île Tintamarre, while continuing to resist extradition.

  6. 1986-10-31

    Van Hout and Holleeder are extradited to the Netherlands.

  7. 2003

    Frans Meijer, who had escaped to Paraguay, stops resisting extradition and is transferred to a Dutch prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.

  8. 2003-01-24

    Cor van Hout is assassinated in Amstelveen, about a year after being freed a second time.

Best coverage

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People

  • Cor van Hout

    CONVICTED

    One of the kidnapping's principal planners; fled to Paris after the ransom was paid, was arrested by French police in February 1984, resisted extradition for more than three years, and was extradited to the Netherlands in October 1986 to serve a prison term. Later imprisoned again for drug smuggling and assassinated in 2003.

  • Freddy Heineken

    VICTIM

    Chairman of the board and CEO of Heineken International; kidnapped with his driver on 9 November 1983 and held for three weeks before being released after a ransom was paid.

  • Martin Erkamps

    CONVICTED

    Joined the kidnapping plot after the other four had begun planning it; was eventually caught and served a prison term.

  • Willem Holleeder

    CONVICTED

    One of the kidnapping's principal planners; fled to Paris with Cor van Hout after the ransom was paid, was arrested by French police in February 1984, resisted extradition for more than three years, and was extradited to the Netherlands in October 1986 to serve a prison term.

  • Frans Meijer

    CONVICTED

    One of the kidnapping's principal planners; escaped and lived in Paraguay for years until located by journalist Peter R. de Vries and imprisoned there. Stopped resisting extradition in 2003 and was transferred to a Dutch prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.

  • Ab Doderer

    VICTIM

    Freddy Heineken's driver; kidnapped alongside Heineken on 9 November 1983 and held with him for three weeks before their release.

  • Jan Boellaard

    CONVICTED

    One of the kidnapping's principal planners; owned the wood manufacturing company whose Quonset hut, at the De Heining business park in Westpoort, was used to hold the hostages. Was eventually caught and served a prison term.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • File:Freddy Heineken en Ab Doderer (1983).jpg

    portrait victim

    File:Freddy Heineken en Ab Doderer (1983).jpg

    Credit: Rob Croes for Anefo · CC BY-SA 3.0 nl · Source

Places

Weteringplantsoen, Amsterdam

52.3676, 4.9041

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Brewing executive Freddy Heineken and his driver Ab Doderer were kidnapped in Amsterdam on 9 November 1983 and held for three weeks until a ransom was paid for their release; all five kidnappers were eventually caught and served prison terms.
Where did the kidnapping happen?
Weteringplantsoen, Amsterdam.
Who was convicted?
Cor van Hout (One of the kidnapping's principal planners; fled to Paris after the ransom was paid, was arrested by French police in February 1984, resisted extradition for more than three years, and was extradited to the Netherlands in October 1986 to serve a prison term. Later imprisoned again for drug smuggling and assassinated in 2003.), Martin Erkamps (Joined the kidnapping plot after the other four had begun planning it; was eventually caught and served a prison term.), Willem Holleeder (One of the kidnapping's principal planners; fled to Paris with Cor van Hout after the ransom was paid, was arrested by French police in February 1984, resisted extradition for more than three years, and was extradited to the Netherlands in October 1986 to serve a prison term.), Frans Meijer (One of the kidnapping's principal planners; escaped and lived in Paraguay for years until located by journalist Peter R. de Vries and imprisoned there. Stopped resisting extradition in 2003 and was transferred to a Dutch prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.), and Jan Boellaard (One of the kidnapping's principal planners; owned the wood manufacturing company whose Quonset hut, at the De Heining business park in Westpoort, was used to hold the hostages. Was eventually caught and served a prison term.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Netherlands

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICKidnapping of Freddy HeinekenWikipedia · 2026-07-12
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-12
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — nu.nlnu.nl · 2026-07-12

Record history

First published
JUL 13, 2026