Suriname Interpol Red Notice Sought for Missing Producer Case Suspect
SURINAME · JUSTICE
Key Facts
- —What happened Suriname’s prosecutor asked Interpol to flag Ryan Torilal, 42, suspect in Rodney Leysner’s disappearance.
- —The context Leysner, a 52-year-old Dutch film producer, vanished on 15 August 2026; police found his burned car in a swamp.
- —Why it matters The case tests how Suriname handles a serious crime involving a foreign executive, watched by expats and investors.
- —The catch A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant, and Interpol has not approved this request yet.
- —Who it affects Foreign executives and investors in Suriname, plus police in Guyana and Brazil, where Torilal might go.
- —What comes next If Interpol approves, police worldwide will be alerted; the search for Leysner and a fourth suspect continues.
Prosecutors want police abroad to find a fugitive suspect in the case of a missing Dutch film producer. Interpol has not approved it yet.
Suriname’s public prosecutor’s office has filed a Suriname Interpol Red Notice request for Ryan Kenneth Torilal, 42. He is the main suspect in the disappearance of Rodney Leysner, a Dutch businessman missing since 15 August 2026.
What the Suriname Interpol Red Notice request asks for
The Openbaar Ministerie, Suriname’s public prosecutor’s office, asked Interpol to flag Torilal internationally. De Ware Tijd reported on Friday, 18 September 2026, that the request was still being assessed.
The request carries a date of 17 September 2026, according to Starnieuws and Suriname Herald, which both saw the document. It asks police abroad to locate Torilal and hold him with a view to extradition.
A Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant. It is a request to police worldwide to find a person and hold them provisionally while legal steps follow.
Suriname has said it will seek extradition if Torilal is arrested abroad. It also allowed parts of the request to be made public to speed up an arrest.
Who Rodney Leysner is
Rodney Leysner is a 52-year-old Dutch citizen. In the Netherlands he became known as a film producer, according to Dutch public broadcaster NOS.
His films include Heksen bestaan niet from 2014, Fashion Chicks from 2015 and Suriname from 2020. The first two each drew more than 100,000 cinema visitors.
Since early 2026 he had worked in Suriname as Chief Commercial Officer of the Rudisa Group of Companies, de Ware Tijd reported. NOS describes Rudisa as a group active in media, car sales and food.
His family lives in the Netherlands. His sister, Nathalie Leysner, has become the family’s main public voice in the case.
How the case unfolded
On Saturday, 15 August 2026, Leysner drove his white Kia Sorento to a work appointment in Saramacca, west of Paramaribo. From that afternoon, family and colleagues could not reach him.
A fellow Rudisa board member reported him missing the next day. The police unit for serious crimes, Kapitale Delicten, opened an investigation.
On 21 August, police dug a burned and crushed car out of a swamp in Saramacca. Two days later, the chassis number confirmed it was the car Leysner had been driving.
Police arrested three suspects, including a Cuban couple, on 21 August. They also began searching for a fourth suspect.
What prosecutors say about Torilal
On 26 August, Procurator-General Garcia Paragsingh ordered Torilal’s tracing and arrest. Starnieuws reports that he had earlier been questioned in the case, but not yet as a suspect.
Suspected offences include murder, manslaughter, fatal serious assault, unlawful deprivation of liberty and joining a criminal organisation. The maximum sentence is life in prison.
According to the request, Leysner was with Torilal shortly before his last known phone contact. The document does not say who that last call was with.
The car was buried on land at kilometre 74 of the East-West Highway, which the request says Torilal controlled. It does not say he owns the land.
Presumption of innocence and search efforts
Torilal is described in the request as armed, violent and a flight risk. As Starnieuws noted, these suspicions are not a finding of guilt.
From 2 to 6 September, a Dutch team with ten search dogs and fifteen staff searched sites in Saramacca. The family had raised money through crowdfunding and also hired a Dutch private investigation firm.
The dogs found no body. On 8 September, police said the search had produced leads relevant to the investigation, without giving details.
Why this matters to expats and investors in Latin America
The case involves a foreign executive at a Surinamese group active in media, car sales and food. It shows how Suriname’s justice system handles a serious case involving a foreign national.
Prosecutors say Torilal may have left Suriname illegally, and the request names Guyana and Brazil as countries he might visit. That makes cooperation with neighbouring police forces important.
On 14 September, the family said they felt the investigation was stalling. They asked Suriname and the Netherlands to work together formally.
The family also asked why Interpol had not been involved earlier, according to de Ware Tijd. The new request answers part of that call.
What is not known
It is not known whether or when Interpol will approve the request. Torilal’s whereabouts are also unknown, and there is no confirmation he is in Guyana or Brazil.
Leysner has not been found, and authorities have not officially said that he has died. It is also not known what happened in the hours after his last phone contact.
What comes next
If Interpol approves the request, police in its member countries will be alerted to look for Torilal. The three other suspects remain in custody while the investigation continues.
Police are asking anyone with information about Leysner’s last hours to come forward, and the search continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Interpol issued a Red Notice for Ryan Torilal?
Not yet. Suriname filed the request, dated 17 September 2026, and Interpol was still reviewing it on 18 September.
Who is Rodney Leysner?
He is a 52-year-old Dutch film producer who worked as Chief Commercial Officer at Suriname’s Rudisa group. He has been missing since 15 August 2026.
Has Torilal been convicted of anything?
No. He is a suspect wanted for prosecution, and suspicion is not proof of guilt.
Connected Coverage
Suriname Signed Nine Agreements With Venezuela, Then Raised the Court Seizure of Venezuelan Oil
Guyana’s Gas-to-Energy Plant Is Three Months From Start-Up, and Siemens Will Run It
Sources: Openbaar Ministerie Suriname Interpol request, dated 17 September 2026, as reported by Starnieuws and Suriname Herald; de Ware Tijd; Suriname Herald, 14 September 2026; NOS.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
Read More from The Rio Times