A 27-year-old man should be jailed for four years for preparing a terrorist attack, the public prosecution department told judges on Tuesday.

Illegal immigrant Mohamed B was arrested in October in Amsterdam following a tip-off from the Dutch security service AIVD. At the time, he had in his possession an oath of allegiance to IS leader Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi and instructions on how to make explosives, news agency ANP quotes the department as saying.

His online communications also show he was someone who was tempted to move to Syria, ANP says. He had also been ‘collecting information’ about making a bomb which could be used against the American embassy or Dutch soldiers, the prosecution department said.

B denies the charges and says he was putting on a tough act to impress people on the internet and to charm women. The oath, he says, was to aid his memory if he was asked about his plans to travel to the ‘caliphate’.

According to ANP, experts say B does live somewhat in a fantasy world and has lied several times in the past about who he is. These include pretending to be a student and a drug dealer and making false claims he had taken part in a jihadi training camp in Libya.

Judges agreed that B, who takes drugs, smokes and visits prostitutes, is not a likely orthodox Muslim, broadcaster Nos says in its report on the trial. However, they noted that although clean-shaven in court, several months before he had a beard and that he had chatted online about the importance of having a beard in Islam.

The court will announce its verdict on September 8.