Anti-jihadist police unit proposed

Police are launching a special team to focus solely on jihadists. In this way, Minister Ivo Opstelten of Security and Justice hopes to put a stop to Dutch sympathizers of IS and other radical groups, De Telegraaf reports.

As part of the extra counter-radicalization measures the Cabinet has taken in the last months, the 'jihad-team' works with detectives of the national police to stop Dutch nationals from radicalizing, and are active on every level to investigate Dutch activity in extremist muslim terrorist groups.

Cabinet opposition parties demanded more action from the Cabinet in De Telegraaf yesterday, arguing that there is too much hesitation in the fight against extremism.

To this, Minister Opstelten emphasizes that the government is already doing a lot. Since threat levels rose in March 2013, there have been 21 people stopped at the border because of their intentions to become jihad fighters.

In that same period, 32 passports have been taken away from jihad fighters, and their benefits have been frozen. Of the nationals who have already traveled to Iraq or Syria, 30 have been written out of the Dutch citizens administration.