The four Dutchmen who were arrested over the weekend after a foiled kidnapping of the Belgian Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne remain in prison. The public prosecutor decided on Monday, the Public Prosecution Service reported. The four resist a quick surrender to Belgium.
On Saturday, three Dutch people aged 20, 29 and 48 were arrested in The Hague and Leidschendam. The fourth suspect, a 21-year-old Dutchman, was arrested on Sunday afternoon on the street in The Hague.
The Belgian police had followed the suspects from Van Quickenborne’s house in Kortrijk to the Dutch border. They had left a car at the house. According to Belgian media, an automatic rifle and bottles with petrol were found in it.
Kidnapping foiled
The minister himself reported in a video message that the Belgian authorities had foiled a kidnapping. The minister has been placed under increased security because of the threat.
Belgium has asked the Netherlands to hand over the four men who were arrested. Now that the suspects do not agree, the court in Amsterdam must rule on their surrender within 60 days.