Two 17-year-old boys have been arrested in the Netherlands on suspicion of “state interference,” according to prosecutors, with reports suggesting links to Russian espionage activities. Dutch media indicate that the individuals were allegedly approached by pro-Russian hackers via the messaging platform Telegram.
One of the teenagers was reportedly seen near the offices of Europol, Eurojust, and the Canadian embassy in The Hague, carrying a device known as a “wi-fi sniffer,” which is used to detect and intercept wireless networks. The boys appeared in court on Thursday, where a judge decided to remand one of them into custody while placing the other under strict home bail conditions until their next hearing, scheduled within the next two weeks.
The National Office of the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service has confirmed the court appearance of the suspects but declined to provide specific details about the case due to their age and ongoing investigative interests. One boy’s father informed Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that police arrested his son on a Monday afternoon while he was engaged in homework. He mentioned that authorities had indicated the arrest was related to charges of espionage and providing assistance to a foreign entity.
The father characterized his son as technologically skilled with an interest in hacking, noting that he also held a part-time job at a supermarket. The Netherlands’ domestic intelligence and security agency has not commented on the situation when approached for further information.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgj1wy3eexyo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss