The Netherlands arrested a Syrian Islamic State operative, who has been living in the country as a refugee for the last three years.
The arrested terrorist is suspected of having worked as the Security Chief of one of the terror groups affiliated to the Islamic State outfit, Dutch authorities said.
Committed War Crimes
The Syrian, who is 37 years old, handled senior roles in terrorist groups like the IS and Jabhat al-Nusra. He was active during 2015-2018 and had played a key role in the Syrian war, according to the Dutch public prosecutor's office.
Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda. The authorities also said he was particularly active around the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, which is mainly populated by Palestinians.
The Dutch public prosecutors said the Syrian is suspected of committing war crimes. "It is suspected that from his position in ISIS, he also contributed to the war crimes that the organisation committed in Syria," the Dutch Public Prosecution Office said, according to the Brussels Times.
Came as Refugee in 2019
Surprisingly, the terrorist had claimed asylum in the Netherlands in 2019. Strangely, the man escaped scrutiny and was allowed to settle in the town of Arkel.
The terror suspect was arrested in Arkel in South Holland, the authorities said on Tuesday. He will be produced in court in The Hague on 20 January.
The terror suspect was detained after an investigation into his past. The Dutch authorities received information about his past, following which the International Crimes Team of the National Criminal Investigation Department and the Public Prosecution Service started a a probe into him. The identity of the suspect has not been released.
