Dutch groups on the Telegram platform are openly advertising explosion-on-demand services, with some offering attacks for as little as €1,000. According to BNR Newsradio, a Dutch commercial radio station that infiltrated one such group, the offers include setting off explosives at front doors or shooting at facades.
The broadcaster reported that multiple ‘job seekers’ were active in the public group called Plofkrakers en Ramkrakers, which translates to ‘ATM Bombers and Ram Raiders.’ Out of five individuals approached, four said they were willing to place an explosive at an address they did not know in exchange for payment. Two admitted it would not be their first time.
The questions posed by these ‘job seekers’ were mainly practical, focusing on who would supply the explosives and organize transport. BNR arranged a meeting with one of them, and he arrived on time, ready to carry out the job.
Archived messages revealed that the group had been active for at least five years. However, a day after BNR asked Telegram about the group, it went offline. In addition to explosions and shootings, participants in the group also advertised services related to drug trafficking, ATM robberies, fraud, and armed robberies. BNR noted that Plofkrakers en Ramkrakers was far from unique on Telegram.
Explosive attacks have been rising steadily in the Netherlands, with over 1,500 recorded incidents last year, targeting homes and businesses. This year’s numbers are already on track to surpass that record.
While the National Police did not comment specifically on the mentioned group, they confirmed to BNR that Telegram has shown a tougher stance toward crime since its owner, Pavel Durov, was arrested in Paris last year, accused of failing to curb numerous crimes on the platform, including fraud, drug trafficking, promotion of terrorism, and cyberbullying.
At the time, Telegram responded to Durov’s arrest by stating he “has nothing to hide” and that the platform complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act. Its moderation, they claim, aligns with industry standards and is continually improving.
Since its 2013 launch, Telegram has become a key platform for political activism in countries with limited free speech. While most of its nearly one billion users are in post-Soviet states, its popularity is growing in the West amid increasing online censorship.
The tension between authorities’ desire to access private messaging online and Europeans’ right to private communication is the subject of ongoing discussion, with the EU’s invasive ‘Chat Control’ electronic messaging surveillance law currently under consideration by the European Council.
