Surinamese exchange office in the Netherlands targeted by bomb attacks
A Surinamese money exchange office and its branches in various cities in the Netherlands have been hit by a string of bomb attacks over the past few days, with the latest attack occurring on Sunday night.
Last week, branches of the Suri-Change money exchange company in Amsterdam were targeted, and while there have been no casualties, the buildings have all been damaged.
On Sunday night, police cordoned off the building as specialists from the Explosives Safety Team and Forensic Investigation United conducted their investigation.
“The damage is limited to the front door; no one was injured,” the police said in a statement.
The attacks on the Suri-Change money exchange company began in January when its branch in South Rotterdam was first shot at and then attacked with a firebomb.
The police said they are investigating whether the attacks are intended to intimidate customers as several other branches have since been closed until further notice.
Suri-Change money exchange was established decades ago by Surinamese entrepreneurs in the Netherlands, allowing Surinamese nationals to send money to relatives at home.
The Dutch judiciary has long suspected the money exchange company of laundering money using a network in the Netherlands, Slovakia and Suriname.
At the end of March, investigative services raided the head office in Rotterdam and arrested five people, including the 73-year-old owner and his two sons. Several homes valued at Euro25 million (One Euro=US$1.29 cents) had also been seized.
The suspects have since been released.
Following the raid in March, Suri-Change Bank in Suriname issued a statement distancing itself from the Netherlands-based company. It also said that its chief executive officer, Terence Gonesh is not a suspect in any judicial investigation by the Dutch authorities.
Following the recent bomb attacks, Suri-Change Bank said that it regretted the attacks and confirmed that its services were disrupted.
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