Police secure explosive device in Baarn, suspect arrested
Police arrested a suspect on Sunday morning after an explosive device was discovered near a home on Professor Fockema Andreaelaan in Baarn. According to RTV Utrecht, no detonation occurred.
The explosive device was found around 8:30 a.m. near a car on Professor van der Potlaan, adjacent to a residential block. Authorities also focused attention on a hedge at a nearby house. The Explosives Disposal Unit (EOD) secured a bottle containing explosive material, after which forensic investigators examined the scene.
Preliminary investigations indicate the explosive was “left at a random location,” according to authorities. An ambulance was on standby, and police confirmed the situation was under control. This marks the eleventh time this year that an explosive has been discovered in Baarn.
Baarn Mayor Mark Röell visited the scene Sunday to monitor the investigation. “It is unfortunately something that is happening increasingly in the Netherlands. I am concerned because it affects the sense of safety of Baarn residents. I am also angry that people are doing this,” Röell said.
He added that the number of explosions has increased due to the relative ease of obtaining explosives. “In the Netherlands, these often come from criminal backgrounds, but nowadays other disputes are also being settled this way.” Police continue to investigate the incident as part of an ongoing series of explosive-related cases in Baarn.
