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Netherlands Detains Two 17-Year-Olds in Foreign Interference Case Near EU Institutions

Prosecutors describe government‑sponsored interference, reflecting reports of Telegram recruitment by pro‑Russian actors.

Overview

  • Dutch authorities arrested two unnamed 17-year-olds after one teen was reportedly seen in The Hague carrying a Wi‑Fi sniffer near Europol, Eurojust and the Canadian embassy.
  • A magistrate on September 25 ordered one suspect held in pretrial detention and the other under electronic‑monitored house arrest, with a closed follow‑up hearing expected roughly two weeks later.
  • Prosecutors confirmed suspicions tied to government‑sponsored interference but have not publicly attributed the case to a specific state.
  • Investigators searched a suspect’s home and seized electronic equipment, and local media report the arrests followed a tip from the AIVD intelligence service.
  • Prime Minister Dick Schoof linked the episode to Russia’s hybrid tactics that exploit children, as European reports describe a wider trend of teens recruited via Telegram by pro‑Russian groups such as NoName(057)16 and Killnet.