Three arrests after explosive material was found in a car in Breda

The police arrested three people after explosive material was found in a car in Breda. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service (EOD) arrived quickly to investigate, said a spokesperson for the national police department. The three arrests happened separately, and a connection between them was under investigation.

The police operated a general traffic check, and ordered the driver of a car with French license plates on the Bavelseparklaan in Breda-Oost to pull over. The driver was unable to show identification, and the car was then searched. The police found gunpowder and percussion caps, which can be used to detonate explosives.

"The EOD was then warned, and they investigated, removed and destroyed it," said the spokesperson. The driver, a 25-year-old from Mauritius, was arrested.

A short while later, the police searched another suspicious car in Hazeldonk, near the border to Belgium, according to the spokesperson. Balaclavas were among the items found in the car.

The two occupants, both men, were arrested. One is a 28-year-old from France, while the other, aged 20, is from Amsterdam. Police are still investigating whether the two cars are related.