Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
Investigative journalist, editor-in-chief and author exploring the intersection of organised crime, media, power and truth. I am editor-in-chief and co-owner of Crimesite, the leading Dutch news platform covering organised crime, criminal justice and security issues. For more than three decades I have worked as a journalist in television, print and digital media. Earlier in my career I was a reporter and researcher for NOS Journaal and contributed to investigative productions for Zembla. My work focuses on organised crime, law enforcement, intelligence, judicial controversies and the ways in which media narratives shape public understanding of complex events. Increasingly, I write about the relationship between journalism, truth, memory and collective storytelling. I am the author and co-author of several books on organised crime, criminal investigations and miscarriages of justice, including Het Heineken-losgeld (2023), Holleeders Onderwereld (2019), (On)terecht levenslang (2017), Fred en de Wet (2014), and Dossier Holloway (2013). Alongside my journalistic work, I publish essays on media, power, framing, truth and forgotten stories through my Substack, Zijwegen. Areas of expertise include: • Organised crime and drug trafficking • Criminal investigations and intelligence operations • Judicial controversies and miscarriages of justice • Media narratives and framing • Investigative reporting • Editorial leadership • Long-form journalism and non-fiction writing
Editor-in-chief and co-owner of Crimesite, the Netherlands’ leading independent news platforms covering organised crime, criminal justice, law enforcement and security issues. Responsible for editorial strategy, investigative reporting, newsroom management, audience development and long-term editorial positioning. Since 2010 I have reported on organised crime, law enforcement, intelligence operations, major criminal trials and judicial controversies in the Netherlands and abroad. In addition to daily news coverage, I work on long-form investigations, books, documentaries and podcasts. My work focuses on the intersection of crime, power, institutions, media narratives and public truth.
Worked as an independent journalist and author for Dutch media including Revu, Vrij Nederland, Bright and Carros. Published and developed non-fiction books on organised crime, criminal investigations, lawful interception, security issues and environmental pollution. Published Onder de Tap in 2006, a book on lawful interception of telecommunications in the Netherlands. Later co-authored Zellingwijk, besmet verleden, schone toekomst, on toxic waste dumping and remediation along the Hollandsche IJssel near Rotterdam. Reported earlier from Peru on Sendero Luminoso for VARA Radio and Trouw.
Started as a journalist and researcher at VARA and later joined NOS Journaal, where I worked as a reporter, news editor and foreign producer. Covered wars, conflicts and political upheaval in Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Rwanda, Burundi and the former Zaire. Together with Lex Runderkamp, I helped establish the investigative desk at NOS Journaal. For Zembla, one of the Netherlands’ leading investigative television programmes, I researched documentaries on organised crime, cybercrime, lawful interception and the Dutroux affair.