Ajax star Brian Brobbey victim of €150k extortion plot that saw his friend shot and fireworks launched through family's letterbox

As per Het Parool, Brobbey was being blackmailed under the "Holleeder Method," a scheme in which criminals fabricate problems for wealthy individuals and demand hefty payments for their resolution. This tactic, perfected by Dutch criminal Willem Holleeder, subjected Brobbey to years of sleepless nights. The ordeal tragically escalated, leading to his friend being shot and left fighting for his life.

The plot reportedly began when Brobbey was approached by Jeymon A., a notorious Antillean-Amsterdam criminal known in the underworld as 'Piccalo'. On the night of December 17-18, 2022, A. met with Brobbey at a concert at Valhalla - a music festival. A. asked Brobbey to step aside for a private conversation, claiming that "Moroccan criminals from Utrecht" were looking for him. A. assured the Ajax star that he had already solved this fabricated problem, subtly suggesting that a "generous compensation" would be a reasonable exchange.

When Brobbey didn't adhere to A.'s demands, a series of planned attacks began. On the night of 15 January 2023, heavy fireworks were thrown through the letterbox of Brobbey's mother-in-law's house. Two months later, on the night of 18 March 2023, an explosive detonated in Brobbey's car, and his sister-in-law's car was set on fire a month later.

The matter dramatically escalated when Brobbey's childhood friend went to meet A. During this meeting, A. shot Brobbey's friend three times, rupturing his intestine. A week later, Brobbey received a text message demanding €150,000, threatening that A. would "handle things differently" if he didn't pay. Text messages between Brobbey and his friend provided the gist of the situation to the detectives investigating the shooting. However, Brobbey initially denied everything, wanting to keep it confidential and to avoid further escalation.

A. was eventually arrested by the police for a different matter and, on 21 November 2024, he prosecutor demanded an eight-year prison sentence for him. Importantly, the details of Brobbey's blackmail have been provided to the court for a more thorough analysis of the case against A.

This ordeal arguably impacted Brobbey's performance, as his form notably dropped from 18 goals in the 2023-24 season to only four in 2024-25. Despite his personal struggles, Brobbey has consistently shown loyalty to the club and always aimed to keep these matters private.