Two Syria returnees arrested at Schiphol

A man and a woman were recently arrested at Schiphol airport separately from each other after returning from conflict areas in Syria and Iraq, the Public Prosecutor announced in a statement. Both are suspected of participating in a terrorist organization.

Both suspects were caught shortly before their return to the Netherlands while crossing the border into Turkey. They did not cross the border together, according to the Prosecutor. They arrived at Schiphol under supervision of the Koninklijke Marechaussee, a policing force that works as part of the Dutch military, on separate flights from Turkey.

The 33-year-old woman from Ede was arrested at the Amsterdam airport on Friday afternoon. According to the Prosecutor, she traveled to terrorist conflict zones at least twice, in 2014 and 2015. She was arraigned in Rotterdam on Tuesday and remanded into custody for two weeks.

The 30-year-old man lived in Amsterdam before he left for Syria in 2013. The Prosecutor believes he went to join a terrorist organization and take part in the armed struggle. He was arrested at Schiphol on Monday evening and will be arraigned on Friday.