Princess forced to flee student flat after ‘kidnap threats from drug kingpin’ accused of shocking murder

DUTCH Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia has been forced to move out of her student flat over a gangsters' plot to kidnap her, it has been alleged.

Fearing for her safety, the 18-year-old, who started a degree at the University of Amsterdam this autumn, moved out of her Amsterdam digs and back to the royal palace in The Hague.

The heir to the Dutch throne was under heightened security due to fears that criminal gangs may target her for kidnapping or an attack, the royal family revealed last month.

It is reported that Prince Catharina-Amalia's name came up during tapped conversations between organised armed groups - indicating she may be at risk of kidnapping or attacks.

The name of Prime Minister Mark Rutte also appeared in the underworld communications.

The alleged security threat, investigated over the past six weeks, is reported to have come from 44-year-old Ridouan Taghi, a known "Mocro-maffia" figure in Amsterdam, who is currently on trial for several murders.

The Mocro-Maffia is believed to be one of the largest drug-trafficking gangs in Europe.

Over the past 12 months, Dutch security services claimed to have foiled plans for a violent jailbreak, after kingpin Taghi allegedly ordering the murder of a key witness and senior prosecutor.

Taghi, who was arrested in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates in 2019, immediately denied the allegations on Wednesday, describing the alleged plot as false and baseless accusation.

His lawyer, Inez Weski, said Taghi "strongly" denied the claims, explaining that the man had made it clear he "didn't want to hurt Princess Amalia" and he "would never harm a child," according to The National News.

During a state visit to Sweden, Catharina-Amalia's dad King Willem-Alexander described her situation as "very tough", according to .

"It has huge consequences for her life. It means she doesn't live in Amsterdam and also that she can't really go outside," her mother, Queen Maxima, is reported as saying by Dutch outlet AD.

"The consequences are very difficult for her. No student life for her, like other students have... It's not nice to see your child live like that. She can go to university, but that's it," Queen Maxima said during the state visit with her husband.

Prime Minister Rutte said he was "very worried" about Catharina-Amalia's "terrible" situation.