Three people in Denmark and one in the Netherlands have been arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack, according to Danish police on 14 December. Now the story has reached Southeast Asia, as CNA reports the story too.
Authorities can’t yet conclude the exact motive behind the planned terrorism. But the network had links to organized crime both in Denmark and abroad, PET Chief Superintendent Flemming Dreyer said.
The suspects, two men and one woman, in Denmark was charged under the terrorism clause of the criminal code, and put in front of a judge for preliminary questioning, police have said. One of the male suspects was released by the judge, but the two others remain in custody until 9 January.
Besides, four other suspects were remanded in absentia, meaning they were not physically present in court.
‘Normally, a person is detained in absentia in order for the police to issue an international arrest warrant. The prosecutor must be able to show the judge that the accused is outside the Danish borders,’ Danmarks Radio writes. But the investigation is still in its early phase.
A motive or not?
Furthermore, Dutch police arrested a 57-year-old man was in Rotterdam. Done on the request of German authorities in a Danish-German investigation, CNA says.
The Dutch National Coordinator for Counter-terrorism and Security (NCTV) raised the country’s threat level to 4 out of 5 this week – citing the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Additionally, The Jewish Community in Denmark said it had been briefed before the public about the raids. But didn’t have further knowledge about threats targeted at Jews. Danish PM Mette Frederiksen stated the situation as ‘extremely serious’.
“It is of course – in relation to Israel and Gaza – completely unacceptable for someone to bring a conflict elsewhere in the world into Danish society,” she said.
