Suspected terrorists arrested in Brabant town

The police arrested two men on suspicion of terrorism in the Noord-Brabant town of Sint-Oedenrode last week Wednesday. The arrests were made based on information from intelligence service AIVD, the Public Prosecutor confirmed to Eindhovens Dagblad.

The suspects are two Dutch-Somalis - a 22-year-old currently living in England and the 21-year-old friend he was visiting in Sint-Oedenrode. According to the AIVD, the 22-year-old man, who was born in Arnhem, is an active member of terrorist organization Al-Shabaab in Somalia. They were arrested around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday while waiting for a bus on Schijndelseweg. The 21-year-old man was released during the course of Thursday, but remains a suspect. 

About an hour after the arrest, the police raided a home on Venkel. The 21-year-old man lives in that home with his mother and siblings. The 22-year-old man was also staying there during his visit. The police seized cellphones and laptops in the raid.

The two men met each other while visiting Kenya about 4 years ago, the 21-year-old man said to ED. They became friends, messaging each other on a regular basis. The 22-year-old man came to visit every year for a week or two. They never talked about terrorism. "Only about girls" while playing FIFA on his Playstation, the Sint-Oedenrode man said to the newspaper. He has no idea whether his friend really is interested in terrorism.