Convicted wind-farm fraudster Hendrik Holt captured in Dubai after fleeing Germany

German authorities announced that Hendrik Holt, the man convicted of a large-scale wind-farm fraud, has been detained in Dubai. The Osnabrück public prosecutor confirmed the arrest without providing further details on how he was apprehended or how he might be returned to Germany. Holt had been sentenced to almost nine years for selling fictitious wind projects to foreign energy firms and for bribing diplomats to obtain a diplomatic passport.

While serving his sentence in an open-prison regime in Berlin, he was permitted to leave the facility during daylight hours but did not report back at night. After his disappearance, he posted a cryptic message on Instagram suggesting he was outside Germany. His lawyer stated that Holt has left the country and does not plan to return, a view echoed by a Berlin justice senator.