Eight individuals have been arrested in the Netherlands on suspicion of forming a criminal network with an anti-institutional ideology, potentially involving violence. The suspects, believed to be part of the “sovereign” movement, were apprehended in coordinated raids across various locations.

The arrests took place in the municipalities of Leeuwarden, Waadhoeke, Súdwest-Fryslân, Ommen, Gilze en Rijen, Den Bosch, and Waddinxveen. The suspects include men aged 66, 62, 61, 39, 55, 47, and 74, along with a 40-year-old woman. Following their arrest, they were taken to police stations for questioning.

During the raids, authorities seized weapons, ammunition, narcotics, and substances that may be explosives or otherwise dangerous. The police have stated that the suspects are under full restriction, limiting their contact to only their legal counsel.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not ruled out the possibility of further arrests. A police spokesperson declined to elaborate on the specific details of the group’s anti-institutional ideology.

One of the arrested individuals, a 74-year-old man from Gilze en Rijen, has been identified as Jan B., previously convicted as an arms dealer known as the “arms supplier of the Amsterdam underworld.” He was also convicted in 2017 for dumping the body of a police informant, but was later acquitted on appeal.

This case is reportedly separate from another major lawsuit against a group of sovereigns operating under the names Common Law Nederland Earth and Volksraad. In that case, ten suspects are on trial for allegedly forming a militia and plotting to overthrow the government, possibly through violent means.

According to the Public Prosecution Service, this group was planning to arrest and take government officials hostage in an emergency situation.

Intelligence services have previously warned about the increasing number of sovereigns in the Netherlands. These individuals typically claim to have separated themselves from the Dutch state, refusing to pay taxes, fines, and utility bills. They reject the authority of the government, police, and judiciary.