What is patrick.haemers?

Patrick Haemers was a notorious Belgian criminal and gang leader who was born on December 31, 1952, in Brussels, Belgium. He was known for his involvement in the kidnapping of the Belgian Prime Minister's son, Paul Van Himst, in 1988, and was also responsible for several high-profile robberies and heists.

Haemers grew up in a working-class family in Brussels and began his criminal career in his early twenties, initially involved in drug trafficking and burglaries. He quickly gained a reputation as a ruthless and violent criminal and formed his own gang with his brother, Marc Haemers.

In 1986, Haemers and his gang robbed a security van carrying millions of francs, which is believed to be one of the biggest heists in Belgium's history. The following year, he was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison, but he managed to escape and went into hiding.

In 1989, Haemers and his gang kidnapped Paul Van Himst, the son of Belgian Prime Minister Wilfried Martens, and demanded a ransom of 30 million Belgian francs. The kidnapping caused a national scandal, and Haemers was eventually arrested and sentenced to life in prison in 1994.

Haemers committed suicide in his cell on May 14, 1993, before he could be transferred to a new prison. Despite his criminal notoriety, Haemers remains a controversial and polarizing figure in Belgium to this day.