Rotterdam terror suspects also made footage of Erasmusbrug
Two men arrested in Rotterdam on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks in the city and in Paris, also took photos and videos of the Erasmusbridge, was revealed during a pro-forma hearing on Wednesday. "These suspects planned to carry out an attack in the short term. Only through rapid intervention by the police and judiciary were they unable to implement these plans", the Public Prosecutor said in the high security court in Rotterdam, ANP reports.
The suspects, Moroccan men aged 27 and 22, were arrested in a home in Rotterdam-Zuid in June. They are suspected of preparing for a terrorist attack and belonging to a terrorist organization. No weapons or explosives were found when they were arrested.
They were planning to attack the security services in the Netherlands, according to the Prosecutor. In a chat conversation intercepted by the FBI, one of the suspects sent a picture of the Veranda police station in Rotterdam-Zuid. They also discussed in detail the purchase of weapons, explosives and bomb belts. One of the suspects said multiple times that he wanted to commit an attack.
When the two were arrested, they told the authorities that they were from Libya and were underage. "They used many aliases", the Prosecutor said on Wednesday. The suspects' lawyer denies this. "They are illiterate, they do not know how to spell their name", the lawyer said.
The investigation is still ongoing. Both suspects are still in custody, and will remain there for the time being, the court ruled on Wednesday. The next hearing in this case is scheduled for November 27th.
