Dutch Authorities Arrest Two Teens for Alleged Pro-Russian Espionage

Two 17-year-olds in the Netherlands were arrested last week on suspicion of conducting cyber-espionage for Russia-backed threat actors, authorities said. Prosecutors say the suspects are accused of government-sponsored interference on behalf of Russian hackers, with a Wi-Fi sniffer used as they walked around The Hague, near several embassies and the headquarters of Europol and Eurojust.

Dutch intelligence agency AIVD was reportedly the first to inform police, prompting a raid on their homes; the teenagers were approached via Telegram, a platform noted in Dutch media reports. One suspect is being monitored under house arrest, while the other remains in custody ahead of a court hearing scheduled for next week, with both brought before an examining judge last week.

At a press conference in The Hague, Prime Minister Dick Schoof described the incident as part of a broader pattern of hybrid attacks attributed to Russia against Europe, according to Reuters report.