Authorities dismantle extremist recruitment ring exploiting social media to radicalize youth across Netherlands.
Dutch prosecutors confirmed Tuesday that 15 individuals were arrested on suspicion of spreading Islamic State propaganda on TikTok and attempting to recruit others for terrorist activities.
The investigation focused on a TikTok account that allegedly published extensive ISIS content translated into Dutch. Some posts reportedly exceeded 100,000 views, openly encouraging followers to join ISIS and glorifying so-called martyrdom.
Who Was Arrested?
- 13 Syrian nationals
- 4 Dutch citizens (some dual nationals)
- 4 minors among the suspects
- Age range: 16 to 53
The coordinated arrests occurred across multiple cities in the Netherlands, following the earlier detention of a primary suspect last month.
Authorities stressed that online platforms, including TikTok — owned by ByteDance — have increasingly been exploited to disseminate extremist ideology and radicalize vulnerable audiences.
