A 63-year-old Moroccan street newspaper seller residing irregularly in the Netherlands, who was arrested in February after police found piles of money in his hotel room, will have his money back, Dutch national broadcaster NOS reported on Friday. After confiscating his money, which totaled 31,800 euros, investigations showed that Mohamed had saved the money himself. «I don't go on holiday or eat out. I save everything. It was my money», he told AD. According to Judith Eykelenboom, coordinator of Straatnieuws, the Hague branch of the street newspaper where Mohamed works, that is likely true. Eykelenboom stressed that Mohamed operates in a favorable location, where people pass by with a lot of cash. Since his earnings were confiscated by the police, Mohamed has been struggling. According to the coordinator, he desperately needs the money for healthcare costs. Mohamed has already received some of the confiscated money. The rest will be handed to him when he returns to Morocco. It is worth mentioning that the street vendor has been living in the Netherlands for 30 years without a residence permit and has worked at the street newspaper for 18 years. It is not known when he will be deported, NOS concluded. People who sell the street newspaper are either homeless, refugees or have applied for a residence permit in the Netherlands. A street newspaper costs 2.50 euros, half of which goes to the Street Newspaper Foundation and the rest is for the seller.
