# 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.

Society · published 2026-11-02 19:47 · https://nlnow.nl/a/police-free-hostage-from-zwijndrecht-flat-arrest-two-men/

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.

## Background

- **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.

From NLnow, news from the Netherlands in English. How stories are made: https://nlnow.nl/about/