Police officers in Rotterdam are going to start seizing expensive jackets and luxury watches from potential criminals if it is not clear how they have been paid for, the Telegraaf said on Wednesday.

Trials of the scheme will begin shortly under the supervision of the public prosecution department and department officials will decide what can be confiscated legally, the paper said.

‘We are talking about young men who consider themselves to be untouchable,’ police chief Frank Paauw told the paper. ‘We are going to undress them on the street.’ Criminal youth gangs will be the main target.

The Telegraaf said police officers will be trained to recognize if suspects are wearing exclusive clothes. ‘We often take Rolexes but rarely clothing,’ Paauw told the paper. ‘And that is a real status symbol for youngsters. Some are walking round in jackets costing €1,800. They’ve no income, so how did they afford them?’

In 2016, Rotterdam police seized €11.5m in cash and property from suspects.