Belgian police add two Dutch brothers to Most Wanted lists over Bocholt robbery

Two Dutch brothers added to the lists

On Thursday, 12 November 2026, the Belgian federal police added Samir Masoudi (43) and Youssef Masoudi (32) to Belgium's Most Wanted list and to Europe's Most Wanted list. Both men are Dutch nationals from Weert in Limburg, and both were convicted over a violent robbery in Bocholt, Belgium. The listing followed a request from the Antwerp prosecutor general's office and coincides with a new Europol campaign aimed at fugitives who committed serious offences against minors or elderly people. The EU Most Wanted list published that day contains 19 internationally sought criminals, including the Masoudi brothers. Photographs of the two men are now on the Belgian and European lists.

The 2017 robbery in Bocholt

On 13 February 2017, at about 10 a.m., three men came to the door of an elderly couple's home in Bocholt and overpowered the occupants. One of the men wore a shawl over his face, while the other two made no effort to hide their identities. The man was struck repeatedly on the head and stabbed in the leg, and the woman was bound and gagged. The robbers spent about two hours searching the house and left around noon, possibly in a grey Ford Focus, with 200 euros and some jewellery. The woman later freed herself and asked for help at a nearby business premises, where emergency services were called. According to Telegraaf, the victims were too shaken to give clear descriptions of the attackers, and the men spoke French among themselves.

The man spent three weeks in hospital in Overpelt after the attack. Sources differ on when he died. Telegraaf reports that he died a year and a half later and cites experts who said the trauma he suffered led to a rapid decline in his health, while NOS and Le Soir say he died a few months after the robbery.

Conviction and flight

Telegraaf reports that the brothers were first sentenced in early December 2023 to 11 years in prison, and both appealed. According to the same outlet, the sentence was reduced to eight years partly because the case took a long time to be heard again. The Antwerp court of appeal imposed the eight-year term on 13 February 2025, and NOS reports that immediate arrest was requested. The brothers did not attend their trial, have been fugitives since then, and are being actively sought, according to Le Soir.

Police and Europol response

Le Soir reports that Belgium's Most Wanted list groups people suspected of serious violent crimes, most of whom have already been sentenced to prison terms of several years. The Antwerp prosecutor general's office asked for the brothers to be listed, and the federal police confirmed the addition on Thursday. The Fugitive Active Search Team (FAST) of the federal police hopes the publicity will generate more information about the two men. The Belgian police are asking members of the public to share information about where the brothers are.