Three teenagers investigated for suspected spying for Russia

Three 17-year-olds are at the centre of an investigation into alleged spying on behalf of Russia, at least one of whom was in contact with a hackers’ group linked to the Russian government, the public prosecution department said on Friday.

That teenagers is suspected of instructing the other two to map wifi networks in The Hague, information that could be used for digital espionage or cyber attacks, prosecutors said.

Two of the teenagers were arrested on September 22 and a third was questioned but not detained. The investigation began following a tip-off from the military intelligence and security service MIVD.

The department said they had decided to release more information about the case after reports appeared in the Dutch media.

The Telegraaf said on Friday that the hackers group had exerted pressure on the one youngster because they had his address. The paper also said it had been told by the father of one of the boys that “many others” from their school or neighbourhood had been sucked into the same Telegram channels used by the hackers.

However, prosecutors said there was no indication that other people close to the three teenagers were involved, or that the boy in contact with the Russian group had been coerced. All three have since returned home to their families.

Dutch security agencies, including the counter-terrorism unit NCTV, have repeatedly warned of growing digital espionage and the increasingly assertive role played by other state actors.

Although this is the first case of its kind to come to light in the Netherlands, in Germany the government has gone as far as to start a campaign warning youngsters not to become a “disposable agent.”