Unfortunately for a British F1 fan, the Dutch Grand Prix ended up being a torrid experience as he was arrested by the police who mistook him for a mafia head honcho
Travelling all the way to Netherlands to revel in the festivities of the Dutch Grand Prix, things didn’t quite transpire in the manner one British F1 aficionado had envisioned they would.
The 54 year old man from Liverpool who has been identified as Mark L ended up being taken in by the Dutch police owing to a case of mistaken identity. The person was arrested by the authorities in the Dutch capital, the Hague after his visit to the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
F1 Fan Arrested In Netherlands After Being Mistaken For A Mafia Boss
Mark was arrested after the police believed him to be 59 year old, Sicilian mafia boss, Matteo Messina Denaro. The hoodlum has an European Arrest Warrant out against him, one issued by the Italian police for his involvement in the 1993 bombings which had resulted in killing 10 people and leaving almost 100 injured.
Mark was picked up by the officials from a restaurant in Netherlands who blindfolded him upon his arrest owing to the high profile nature of the man wanted. Upon further investigations though, it became apparent that Mark wasn’t the person wanted in the case with him released subsequently.
His lawyer, Leon van Kleed went onto say: “It’s like a bad movie, a nightmare that my client has found himself in.
“Imagine one moment you are having a bite to eat and the next you are sat in a maximum-security Dutch prison.”
F1 will meanwhile next move to Sochi for the Russian Grand Prix in the wake of the Italian Grand Prix.
ALSO READ: Top 10 Highest Paid Female WWE Wrestlers And Their Salary 2021