Two Rotterdam terror suspects kept in custody

[BlueMary]

Two Rotterdam terror suspects kept in custody

AFP on March 31, 2016, 4:39 am

The Hague (AFP) - Two terror suspects arrested in weekend raids in Rotterdam were Wednesday remanded in custody, only hours after another late night search in the southern Dutch port city, prosecutors said.

The two men, believed to be of Algerian origin and aged 43 and 47, will be held for another two weeks, on "suspicion of belonging to a terrorist organisation", the prosecution said. A third man, aged 35 who is said to be homeless, was released.

They were all arrested late Sunday along with a Frenchman, identified only as Anis B., who appeared Tuesday before an Amsterdam court and is fighting an extradition request from Paris where he is wanted for a foiled attack plot.

Prosecutors said a new raid was carried out by Dutch special police units before dawn on Wednesday in another part of Rotterdam.

But no new arrests were made after a building was searched, and "no weapons or explosives were found", the prosecutor's office said.

People had been evacuated from nearby houses in the Kralingen district as a precaution in the early hours Wednesday, and a bomb disposal squad had been on standby in case it was needed.

Anis B. is wanted by France for "involvement in a criminal organisation linked to a terrorist enterprise", the prosecutor's office said.

He was arrested on Sunday at Paris' request, suspected of receiving orders from the Islamic State group to attack targets in France.

Heavily-armed police also found a stash of ammunition, SIM cards, hard drives, cash and drugs in Sunday's raids.

Dutch courts must now decide within 90 days whether to send the 32-year-old to France.

Dutch Justice Minister Ard van der Steur on Tuesday told parliament he expected Anis B. "to be extradited to France soon".