Dutch police arrest French national suspected of planning attack

March 28, 2016 | 09:31

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Dutch police on Sunday arrested a 32-year-old French national in the port city of Rotterdam on suspicion of planning a terror attack, prosecutors said, in a raid carried out at the request of France.

Police carry out extra patrols at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam in response to attacks in Brussels. (AFP/Evert Elzinga)

THE HAGUE: Dutch police on Sunday (Mar 27) arrested a 32-year-old French national in the port city of Rotterdam on suspicion of planning a terror attack, prosecutors said, in a raid carried out at the request of France.

"French authorities on Friday requested the arrest of this French national," the national prosecutor's office said in a statement, adding that the man was suspected "of preparing a terrorist attack". The statement made no mention of any connection with the November attacks in Paris.

Three other men were also detained in the police operations, including two suspects of Algerian background aged 43 and 47. No immediate details were available about the third man, the statement said.

The raids were carried out in two streets in the west of the city, and several nearby homes were evacuated "for the safety of the residents".

The detained French national is expected to be handed over to France "shortly", prosecutors added.

The Netherlands was already on heightened alert after Tuesday's airport and metro attacks in Brussels, with security stepped up at airports and train stations and border controls tightened.

AFP

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