Dutch man with 'guilty conscience' confesses to robbery 9 years after crime

The robbery had happened at a petrol station in the southern Dutch town of Terneuzen. (Image credit: Grok)

Dutch police have finally cracked the case of a petrol station robbery nearly a decade on after the thief handed himself in, apparently wracked by a guilty conscience.

The cold case dates back to January 18, 2016. A robber stole a few hundred euros from a petrol station in the southern Dutch town of Terneuzen.

The cashier was able to give a detailed description of the thief and police opened an investigation, but could not find their man and the case remained unsolved.

"Until now," police reported in a jubilant statement.

"A 28-year-old man who now lives in Arnhem probably had a guilty conscience and recently handed himself in to police in his hometown," authorities said.

The man voiced regret for the crime and said he wanted to pay back the cash.

Prosecutors are now weighing how to proceed with the case.

This comes a month after another robbery made headlines in the country in which the criminals blew open the door of a museum with explosives before stealing four priceless ancient artifacts, including an approximately 2,500-year-old gold helmet. Other stolen items included three 2,000-year-old gold bracelets and the Helmet of Cotofenesti, a historically important item on loan from the National History Museum of Romania. They were part of an exhibition about the Dacians, an ancient society that occupied much of present-day Romania before being conquered by the Romans.

The Dutch police have arrested three people in connection with the case and have described finding the artifacts as their “absolute priority,” appealing for information from the public.

(With inputs from AFP)