Police free hostage from Zwijndrecht flat, arrest two men
The police special operations unit freed a man held in a flat in Zwijndrecht on Saturday. Police say the case may be linked to a 30-kilo drug seizure in Germany.
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Illustrative photo: Dickelbers / CC BY-SA 4.0
The police special operations unit (Dienst Speciale Interventies, DSI) entered a home on the Tomatenplein in Zwijndrecht on Saturday afternoon and brought the hostage to safety. Two men, aged 18 and 19, were arrested at the address on suspicion of hostage-taking. Police seized a firearm.
The suspects are an 18-year-old from Papendrecht and a 19-year-old from Rotterdam. They are being held under full restrictions, which means they may have contact only with their lawyer. They are due to appear before the supervising judge (rechter-commissaris) on Tuesday 3 November.
Police are considering whether an arrest in Germany prompted the hostage-taking. On 28 October, a 21-year-old Dutchman was stopped at a check there, and German customs officers seized 30 kilos of amphetamine.
Forensic officers examined the home. Police are continuing their investigation.
Source: Politie
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rechter-commissaris
The examining magistrate is a judge at a Dutch district court who supervises the pre-trial criminal investigation. The rechter-commissaris reviews and authorises coercive measures such as pre-trial detention, and can impose restrictions on a suspect, including a ban on contact with anyone other than their lawyer. A suspect in custody is usually brought before the rechter-commissaris within a few days of arrest to decide whether detention continues.