Dutch authorities have arrested a 40-year-old man in Ridderkerk after he allegedly downloaded confidential police documents that were mistakenly shared with him and refused to delete them unless he received “something in return.”
Officers detained the suspect at his residence on suspicion of computer hacking. Police searched the home and seized data storage devices in an effort to recover the files.
According to Dutch police, the incident began on February 12 when the man contacted authorities about images he possessed that could be relevant to an ongoing investigation. An officer responding to his inquiry mistakenly sent a download link to confidential police documents instead of a link for uploading the images.
Despite the apparent error, the man allegedly downloaded the files and refused to delete the documents after police told him to do so. He said that he would comply only after receiving “something in return,”which prompted authorities to treat the matter as attempted extortion.
Dutch police said that knowingly downloading files from a link clearly intended for uploading could constitute computer trespass under Dutch law, particularly when the recipient is explicitly told not to access the material.
Authorities have reported the data breach and launched an internal investigation. While there is currently no indication that the confidential documents were distributed beyond the suspect’s possession, police said they are following established data breach protocols and continuing their inquiry.
The Dutch police emphasized that individuals who receive confidential information in error have a legal obligation to report the mistake and refrain from accessing or retaining materials not intended for them, regardless of how they were received.