Dutch seize passports of 49 suspected jihadists

The Dutch government withdrew the passports of 49 people identified as suspected jihadists, Minister of Justice Ivo Opstelten said. Speaking on television show WNL, Opstelten said 41 of those were believed to be planning to fight in Syria or Iraq, while the other eight had their passports invalidated to prevent them from re-entering the Netherlands.

The government also froze all assets of twelve of the suspects, and stopped paying benefits to thirty. Another thirty are also being investigated criminally.

Assets may be frozen only when there is an extraordinary amount of evidence linking a suspect to terrorism.

Roughly 140 people have lost their Dutch passports since the Netherlands began using the punishment to clamp down on domestic jihadism. Two of the 140 are in custody, while more than thirty have been deported, broadcaster NOS reported.