Police arrest five suspects for threatening to kill, planning an attack on a local

Authorities detained five suspects on Wednesday and Thursday in Rotterdam on suspicion of attempting to carry out an attack.

On Wednesday morning, police in Rotterdam were alerted that someone living on Gaffelstraat in the Oude Westen neighborhood had received death threats. Officers found threatening messages at the entrance to the person’s apartment building, which they deemed serious enough to begin an investigation and secure evidence. A mobile camera unit was installed on the street for surveillance.

That same day, the trail of evidence led to the arrest of a 17-year-old whose home search uncovered an automatic weapon. Later, security footage from Wednesday night showed another individual getting out of a taxi and heading toward the apartment building’s entrance.

Police apprehended him too, a 16-year-old found carrying an automatic gun. The 45-year-old taxi driver was briefly detained but released afterward.

Later that Thursday, police arrested two more suspects a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old. Police say they have taken both visible and invisible measures as part of the security operation and the ongoing investigation, and have not ruled out making more arrests.

Rotterdam’s mayor, Carola Schouten, has now closed the home as a precautionary measure.