Teens arrested by Dutch police reportedly suspected of spying for Russia

Two teenagers have been arrested in the Netherlands on suspicion of espionage, reportedly on behalf of pro-Russian hackers.

The boys, both aged 17, were arrested on Monday. One has been remanded in custody while the other released on home bail.

Dutch prosecution service spokesperson Brechtje van de Moosdijk said the arrests were related to laws regarding state-sponsored interference, but said additional details would not be provided due to the age of the suspects and the ongoing investigation.

According to one of the boy’s fathers, who spoke to De Telegraaf newspaper, they were recruited by pro-Russian hackers over the messaging app Telegram.

He said they had been accused of being tasked with carrying a "wifi-sniffer" along a route past buildings in The Hague, including the headquarters of Europol and Eurojust, as well as several embassies.

The arrests reportedly followed a tip from the Dutch signals intelligence agency, AIVD, according to the NL Times.

Both of the teens were brought before an examining judge on Thursday. Another hearing is set to be held behind closed doors in two weeks time.

The Dutch government recently expanded the country’s laws against cyber-espionage.