THE HAGUE - Dutch crime boss Stanley Hillis was attacked and killed by a group of unknown hitmen Monday on the east side of Amsterdam, police said.

Hillis, nicked named "the Old Man", was slain on the streets by several gunmen who fled the scene in a van after the shooting, local press quoted police as saying.

The man was a top figure of the Dutch organized crime and has been active since the 1970s. He committed a series of robberies and shot a policeman in 1979, and escaped from prison several times.

His lawyer Mark Teurlings said he was surprised. "To me the murder comes as a surprise. I spoke to him a few weeks ago. He had no fear and was not concerned."