Police arrest two for explosions in Amsterdam & Rotterdam

Police in Amsterdam and Rotterdam each announced the arrest of a new suspect in connection with a recent explosion in each city. The suspect in Amsterdam was linked to two explosions that took place during the same week in January, while the Rotterdam suspect was the second held for an incident over the weekend.

A 35-year-old man suspected for two explosions on Zeilstraat in Amsterdam-Zuid was taken into custody on Tuesday, and he may have been working with others, police said. He was in custody for the explosive device that was thrown against the door of a hospitality business at about 7 p.m. on January 22. The detonation caused a fire, but the two people present in the building were able to quickly extinguish the flames. There were no injuries.

Then, at about 12:40 a.m. on January 24, another explosive device was detonated on Zeilstraat, this time in front of a business. The building, the entryway to several residences, and a parked car were damaged, but nobody was hurt. An adjacent building was evacuated because of a large volume of smoke, police said.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema closed the hospitality business believed to be the target of both incidents. The closure was ordered to remain in place for six months. "The risk of recurrence is also high, according to the police," the city said in a statement.

Forensic investigators recovered enough evidence which was eventually linked to the suspect, police said. Authorities are still trying to determine if others were involved in the crimes.

Authorities arrested a 19-year-old on Monday on suspicion of involvement in an explosion at about 4 a.m. on Saturday in Rotterdam. That incident happened at a shop on Strevelsweg, police said. The teenager from Spijkenisse is the second person taken into custody in the case. A 21-year-old was also caught on Saturday, and was still in detention on Tuesday.

"Residents of Strevelsweg were startled by a number of loud bangs" caused by an explosion in front of a shop early on Saturday, police said. The material damage there was extensive, but there were no injuries. Witnesses said they saw two people leaving the area on a scooter immediately after the explosion.

There have been over 50 explosions in Rotterdam already this year, more than all of last year. Another 24 explosions have happened in Amsterdam since January 1, according to AT5. Many the incidents in Rotterdam are believed to be retaliatory attacks for failed attempts to traffic drugs. The motivation behind the Amsterdam attacks has not yet emerged, and it is not clear if the incidents in both cities are linked.