A 17-year-old boy who stored home-made explosives at his parents' home has been arrested by Dutch police. The boy was detained by Amsterdam police investigating the Hofstad group - an alleged Islamist militant network. It is not clear whether he has ties with the group that is suspected of being linked to the killing of Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh. Prosecutors said a makeshift explosive device was found in the room of the boy, who has not been named.
| More than likely, he's a convert to the ROP |
They said the boy was active on the internet where he expressed radical beliefs. National prosecutor's office spokesman Wim de Bruin said the boy was accused of "actions to prepare an attack, terrorist or otherwise". The office said in a statement that the device consisted of a tube filled with gun powder, small bullets and a detonation mechanism. "The investigation is aimed at discovering if he had contact with the Hofstad network," it added. More than a dozen suspected members of the network are awaiting trial on terrorism charges.
Additional: ANP said the security services had been keeping a watch on the youth as part of their investigation into the so-called Hofstad group of radical Islamists, which had contacts with the suspected killer of filmmaker Theo van Gogh. The youth had been active in MSN chatrooms, expounding radical views, and had sent threatening messages to right-wing politician Geert Wilders, the agency said. ANP said the youth was of Dutch-British origin and had converted to Islam when he was 14. |