Stanley H.

Stanley H. follows the life of one of the Netherlands’ most notorious criminals. The series chronicles the career of Stanley Hillis—from ‘gentleman’ bank robber to ruthless drug trafficker—concluding with his mysterious death in 2011: an execution-style killing that took place right under the noses of the police. It remains an unsolved criminal hit to this day.

The criminal career of Stanley Hillis reached its zenith in the 1990s during the ‘IRT affair,’ a scandal in which shipping containers filled with drugs were deliberately allowed to pass through customs. With the complicity of the Dutch police and customs authorities, Hillis spent years trafficking thousands of kilograms of soft and hard drugs, as well as weapons and explosives. One particularly sensational moment occurred in 1985, when he appeared on Sonja Barend’s live television show shortly after escaping from the Bijlmerbajes prison. Sporting a wig, a fake mustache, and oversized sunglasses, Hillis gave an interview to the Dutch viewing public—all while the director of the Bijlmerbajes and police spokesperson Klaas Wilting sat in the studio, seething with rage and indignation.