After serving a few years he was released, and was involved in a money laundering scheme. His offending escalated until he was participating in armed robberies of security vans that occurred so  frequently that they led to greatly increased security. He left the country for a time, but on  14 January 1989 he was one of those who kidnapped former Belgian prime minister Paul Vanden Boeynants, releasing Vanden Boeynants on  13 February 1989 for a reportedly huge ransom.
The passage describes a person who was involved in various crimes, including money laundering, armed robbery, and kidnapping. He eventually left the country but returned to commit further criminal acts. The events are described chronologically, highlighting his escalation of criminal activities and eventual release of a high-profile victim for ransom.