Two men planning terror attack with ‘bomb vests and car bombs’ arrested in Netherlands, police say

Dutch police have arrested two men suspected of planning to carry out a terrorist attack “before the end of the year” after a tip-off from intelligence services prompted an investigation.

In a statement on Tuesday, prosecutors said the two men from Zoetermeer, 20 and 34, wanted to use bomb vests and car bombs in the attack. It is not clear what the intended target was, Dutch media cites law enforcement.

The National Police Unit began a criminal investigation in early October after a warning from the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) said that the men were planning a jihadist attack.

No firearms or explosives were found during the Monday arrests, but a mobile phone with multiple sim cards, a throwing ax and a dagger were found hidden in a space above the ceiling in the men’s home. Evidence of the reported plot was obtained by police infiltrators.

One of the men was arrested on a street in The Hague, while the other was held at home in Zoetermeer, as part of a “carefully planned, large-scale police action.”

The Dutch Public Prosecution Service said the investigation shows that the chance of attacks in the country still exists. The men will be brought before a court in Rotterdam on Thursday.

The Netherlands also narrowly escaped a major terror attack last year after a seven-strong terrorist cell was apprehended after a months-long investigation and police infiltration of the cell. The men in that case had planned to target a festival with guns and possibly a car bomb.

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