Seven held in anti-terror raids in the Netherlands

Expatica’s Dutch news in English: Seven held in anti-terror raids in the Netherlands

Seven held in anti-terror raids in the Netherlands. The operation was designed to prevent terror attacks. It was ordered by the national detective unit as part of an investigation into a terrorist organisation, a spokesperson for the office of the public prosecutor (OM) said.

The suspects were held in Almere, Amsterdam and The Hague. Six of the suspects are men, aged 18 to 30. The seventh is a 24-year-old woman. One of the men is 19-year-old Samir A., the OM spokesperson said.

Probably his wife Abida is held as well.

A. was cleared by a court earlier this year of charges he was plotting terrorist attacks on a nuclear power station and other key
installations in the Netherlands. He is considered the main suspect in the latest investigation.

Reports received by the Dutch intelligence service AIVD suggested, the OM said, that A. was trying to obtain automatic weapons and explosives.

The national coordinator for countering terrorism has released a press statement as well.

Following the arrest of several individuals suspected of terrorist activities, additional security measures have been put into immediate effect at the recommendation of the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism (NCTb). Information from intelligence services has prompted these measures, which relate to surveillance and protection of specific objects and persons. Some measures will be visible to the public. For instance, the Binnenhof (the parliamentary and governmental complex in The Hague) will be under tighter surveillance. The headquarters of the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) in Leidschendam, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations will also be under tighter surveillance. It is not yet possible to say how long this level of surveillance will be in place. For security reasons, no further information about personal security measures can be provided.

There is no need to raise the general threat level associated with the national terrorist threat assessment. As reported earlier, the current threat level for the Netherlands is substantial, and that level remains unchanged. Nor is there any need to place any of the sectors participating in the Counterterrorism Alert System (Alerteringssysteem Terrorismebestrijding; Atb) on alert, or to raise either of the sectors already at a moderate alert level � Dutch Railways (NS) and Amsterdam�s Schiphol Airport � to a higher level.

At the press conference Dutch ministers Donner (Justice department) and Remkes (Interior) declared they are related to the so called ‘hofstadgroup’. A group that, according to them, has grown and become more autonomous (not really clear what they mean by that but probably that there are few or none international links) and abuse islam for their terrorist activities (a message clearly directed at Muslims and non-muslims in the Netherlands).

UPDATE:
Samir A. is considered the prime suspect. According to the Dutch intelligence and information service (AIVD) he was looking for explosives and automatic weapons and probably preparing an attack on politicians and a governmentbuilding (perhaps the AIVD office).