Allegedly Sending 5 Million Euros To Palestinian Hamas, Father And Daughter Arrested By Dutch Authorities

JAKARTA - A father and daughter were arrested by Dutch authorities, after allegedly sending more than 5 million euros to Palestinian Hamas groups violating EU sanctions, prosecutors said Monday.

Both, aged 55 and 25 and from Leidschendam City near The Hague, were arrested on June 22 on suspicion of "large-scale funding" for Hamas, the public prosecutor said.

During a search of a house in Leidschendam and a place of business in Rotterdam, investigators found cash and confiscated a bank balance of around 750.000 euros, they said.

"The prosecutor suspects they have sent around 5.5 million euros to groups linked to the Hamas organization," the public prosecutor said, quoted by The National News on June 27.

"They are also suspected of participating in criminal organizations aimed at supporting Hamas financially," continued the public prosecutor.

"In addition, both of them, who are still being detained, are suspected of being involved in a foundation that replaced a previous organization that was sanctioned and sent funds to Hamas," said the prosecutor.

The investigation of the case itself was launched after reports of transactions were unable, following a newspaper article regarding fundraising events for Hamas in Europe.

Hamas, who ruled the Gaza Strip, was blacklisted by the European Union's terrorism, following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks by Al Qaeda in New York and Washington.

The European Union Court removed Hamas from the list in 2014. However, the bloc's highest court returned it in 2017.