iHostage: True Story of Amsterdam Apple Store Robbery, Explained

Directed by Bobby Boermans, Netflix’s ‘iHostage’ follows the story of the robbery of an Apple store in Amsterdam. The day begins, usually, with all the customers coming in with their desire to buy something new or upgrade their tech. However, things turn around when a man pulls up a gun, creating chaos and making everyone worried for their lives. The crime drama focuses on the tension created by one man, who is ready to bring down the whole building if that’s what it takes to get what he wants. Interestingly, almost every aspect of the movie is based on a true story and real events.

iHostage Presents an Accurate Account of the Amsterdam Apple Store Robbery

‘iHostages’ presents the true story of a robbery that took place at an Apple Store in Amsterdam on February 22, 2022. The culprit was a 27-year-old man named Abdel Rahman Akkad, who was employed at a supermarket chain at the time and used its truck to get to the Apple store located in Leidseplein, one of the most happening places in the city. The incident took place around 5:40 pm, as he entered the store with a semiautomatic weapon and a handgun. He dressed himself in camouflage and was even wearing a bomb vest, which he threatened to explode if the cops got too close to him or if his demands were not met. He immediately asked for a negotiator, and on being provided one, he demanded 200 million euros in cryptocurrency, along with the assurance that he would be allowed to leave without any consequences.

When Akkad entered the place, it was full of customers, a lot of whom escaped from the front door when he pulled out his gun and started to threaten them. To make himself seem more serious, he got his hands on a Bulgarian man, who remained his primary hostage for the next five hours. As for the remaining people, most of them escaped to the first floor of the building, where they stayed until the cops showed up to rescue them, and four remained hidden in a storage room until the whole chaos came to an end and they were brought out of the store by the police. Meanwhile, the Bulgarian man, whose name was not disclosed by the authorities, remained the only person in captivity of the robber.

It also turned out that Akkad had prepared for the long stay in the store because he anticipated that the negotiations would take a while. Apart from the guns and explosives, he had a black sports bag and a big shopper bag in which he carried extra ammunition, along with jammers, as well as around 30 ties, of which he only got to use a couple because only one person was left behind while the others in the store fled or hid. Moreover, he also carried a USB stick, which was later revealed to have a poem titled, ‘The Man of Double Deed.’ He also carried a supply of Red Bull.

The cops tried to take control of the situation, but Akkad fired at least four shots at them in retaliation. At the time, around 70 people were trapped within the establishment. Soon, however, the cops found a way to rescue the people who were hiding on the first floor. Meanwhile, the cops monitored the live feeds of those trying to keep the authorities up to date on their conditions. In fact, a lot of people outside the store also posted about the ongoing situation, which made the cops make them take down the posts because they didn’t want Akkad to know about the hostages at all, as it would further escalate an already dangerous situation.

The Bulgarian Hostage Made a Brave Decision That Saved His Life

By 8:30 pm that night, the authorities managed to clear the first floor and got most of the hostages out without Akkad knowing about it until much later. At around 10:30 pm, Akkad asked for water, and it was provided to him right at the doorstep of the store. A robot was used to deliver the water, so that he wouldn’t feel threatened by the cops. However, when the time came to get the water, the Bulgarian hostage made a brave decision. Instead of continuing his compliance, he decided to run away from the robber, who ran after him. At the same time, one of the cops made the strategic decision to drive the car and hit Akkad so that he was immediately neutralised.

Because the robber was still wearing the bomb vest, a robot was sent to examine him, which is when it turned out that the explosives in the vest were real, but they were not armed, which meant that there was never a real danger of the building blowing up. Once his injured body was examined and cleared of explosives, he was taken to a hospital. However, his injuries were too bad for him to survive. Akkad passed away in the hospital on February 23, which brought the case to an unexpected end. Meanwhile, the cops kept looking into him and his close relatives to find out if someone else was involved in the crime and was working behind the scenes to support his initiative.

However, despite their dogged investigation into the matter, they couldn’t ascertain anything. The only thing they found out about was Akkad’s criminal past. They discovered that he had been arrested for possessing a firearm, was reported for sexual harassment by his ex-girlfriend, and that he had been having some financial troubles prior to the robbery. There was no conclusive evidence to suggest that he had taken someone’s help or what his true intention was behind the whole thing. At the end of the day, he was dead, and all the hostages were rescued, with five of them getting a hero pin from the Mayor of Amsterdam for their unbelievable courage in the midst of extenuating circumstances.