A member of the elite Dutch commando squad has been arrested and may face charges of importing drugs, stealing military supplies and involvement in illegal weapons trading, the public prosecution department has confirmed to RTL Nieuws, following a report by the Telegraaf.

The commando, said by the Telegraaf to hold the rank of sergeant major, was arrested on February 1 and has been remanded in custody for 14 days.

The investigation is being led by the military police force Koninklijke Marechaussee and has led to a search of two properties in Rotterdam as well as the barracks where the man lived.

The man, said to be 42 years old and from Rotterdam, has an excellent reputation and has served in Lebanon, Ivory Coast and Afghanistan, the Telegraaf said.

‘The interviews are still ongoing and I cannot comment any further until they have been completed,’ the man’s lawyer, Michael Ruperti, told the Telegraaf.