A Dutchman with a history of activism for far-right groups in the Netherlands has been arrested in Poland trying to buy weapons.

Sources in Poland told the AD the suspect is known as Ronald van der W from Apeldoorn. He has been described by the Polish authorities as an “extremist threat”, who wanted to by weapons for an “attack” on Dutch soil. He is also said to have tried to contact pro-Russian extremists. 

Van der W, 53, is a former member of the banned Dutch far-right party CP’86 but had not been visible in far-right circles for years, far-right monitoring group Kafka told the paper.

He was arrested on June 13 in the region of Poznan in an operation led by Polish border guards and the military intelligence unit SKW. He is said to have been attempting to buy five guns plus ammunition and was remanded in custody for three months. 

Dutch police have so far declined to say much about the arrest, but the AD says his home in Apeldoorn was searched last Thursday and that two Polish detectives were involved in that operation. 

The Oost-Nederland force did say the home search was part of an “ongoing investigation” on behalf of the Polish authorities. 

Neighbours told local paper De Stentor that Van de W was a “quiet” man who worked from time to time. “We did not have much contact, apart from the odd chat,” the neighbour said. 

The Dutch counter terrorism unit NCTV has said several times recently that the rise of far right extremism and radical anti-government and conspiracy movements could also spill over into violence and terrorism.

‘A group of anti-government extremists is targeting the government and other institutions based on fundamental mistrust, anger and sense of injustice,’ the agency said in a report last November.

This group, the NCTV said, rose out of a radical undercurrent during the coronavirus protests and is increasingly focusing on other topics, such as the nitrogen issue and the farmers’ protests.