Dutch police today said they had arrested a man accused of breaking into a Russian embassy flat in The Hague last week, spiking tensions amid a growing diplomatic spat.
"The suspect was arrested last evening in a coordinated police action in a restaurant," police said in a statement.
The 43-year-old was identified thanks to fingerprints found at the flat, in a building that is managed by the Russian embassy but has no diplomatic status.
Some personal effects were stolen during the burglary in the night of October 17-18, days after a senior Dutch diplomat at the embassy in Moscow was beaten up at his home by unknown attackers.
That attack came after police in The Hague detained a Russian diplomat over accusations he was mistreating his two young children.
Relations between Russia and The Netherlands have deteriorated over Moscow's arrest of the 30-member crew of a Dutch-flagged Greenpeace ship.
Police said the suspect was allegedly connected with a number of recent burglaries and break-ins, adding that he would be brought before a judge to face charges today.
The Dutch foreign ministry has informed the Russian embassy of the arrest.
