A search planned for Linden yesterday was suddenly dashed aside late Wednesday evening when Dutch Criminologist, Jacques Smits received a tip that wanted man Herman Ploeger was spotted in Cotton Tree, East Berbice.
Smits is five days into a hunt for Ploeger who allegedly abducted his two sons a year ago and was reportedly seen in Guyana recently. Smits told this newspaper last night that he along with detective ranks of the Guyana Police Force and three television personnel from the Netherlands left for Cotton Tree around 4 am yesterday for the home where Ploeger was reportedly seen.
However, when they got to the house they discovered a man who looked like Ploeger with his two-year-old son. Smits said that both the man and his son were from England. He told Stabroek News that he was very disappointed that it was not Ploeger, but was still grateful for the tip. "I am very disappointed, I really thought we had him, but the man looked just like Herman. We are still grateful for the tip and we would like Guyanese to continue to help us in this search." He said that the television crew is expected to leave the country this morning for the Netherlands. The criminologist said that he was feeling the rigours of the travelling and that the children’s mother was unwell.
On June 4 2001 Ploeger, 34, allegedly fled the Netherlands with the two boys, three-year-old Pascal Roelf Ploeger and four year-old Timeotheus Ploeger despite having lost four separate custody battles in Dutch courts to the children’s mother, Aneta Joanna Szadkowska.
Smits was given permission to the use his hotel’s telephone numbers 226-5442 and 223-7328 to receive calls.
He affirmed that all of the neighbouring countries have been alerted to the situation.