The ''Brigade Speciale Beveiligingsopdrachten'' (BSB) ( en, Special Security Missions Brigade) is the elite
police tactical unit of the
Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. Its missions include
counter-terrorism
Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or ...
, protection of government and military officials, and targeting organised crime.
Like many other European police tactical units, the BSB was established in 1975 following
Munich massacre
The Munich massacre was a terrorist attack carried out during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, by eight members of the Palestinian militant organization Black September, who infiltrated the Olympic Village, killed two member ...
. While the BSB conducts special operations, its missions are not planned by the
Netherlands Special Operations Command
The Netherlands Special Operations Command (NLD SOCOM) is a joint command of the Netherlands Armed Forces which is responsible for the planning, command and control, execution and evaluation of all operations conducted by the Dutch special operati ...
(NLD SOCOM).
Origin
Following the
Munich massacre
The Munich massacre was a terrorist attack carried out during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, by eight members of the Palestinian militant organization Black September, who infiltrated the Olympic Village, killed two member ...
in 1972, many European nations decided to establish dedicated
counter-terrorist
Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or el ...
units. The Netherlands were no exception and established multiple ''Bijzondere Bijstandseenheden'' (BBE) (English: Special Support Units). The tip of the spear was formed by the ''Bijzondere Bijstandseenheid Mariniers'' (BBE-M) (English: Special Support Unit Marines), currently named
M-Squadron
M-Squadron, formerly the ''Unit Interventie Mariniers'' (Marine Intervention Unit, UIM), and before that known as the ''Bijzondere Bijstandseenheid'' (Special Support Unit, BBE), is an elite Dutch special forces unit which is tasked with conduc ...
of the
Netherlands Marine Corps, which was the primary domestic counter-terror unit. The Royal Marechaussee contributed to the BBEs by providing
snipers. However, Royal Marechaussee high command foresaw the emergence of an operational gap. The BBEs could exclusively be deployed during terrorist threats, while regular police or Marechaussee personnel was not adequately trained or equipped to operate in high-risk settings. Therefore, the decision was made to establish the BSB under the command of the Royal Marechaussee. As such, the BSB could function as a figurative bridge between the regular police and the BBEs.
The first class of BSB operators was trained by the
West German
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
police tactical unit
Grenzschutzgruppe 9
, formerly (), is the police tactical unit of the German Federal Police ''( Bundespolizei)''. The state police ('' Landespolizei'') maintain their own tactical units known as the '' Spezialeinsatzkommando'' (SEK). The identities of GSG 9 memb ...
(GSG 9) in 1975. The unit achieved operational status in 1976 with 24 men. In the following years, the BSB focussed on providing personal security details to senior military officials (both Dutch and foreign) on domestic and foreign soil. In addition, the BSB was intensely involved with combating violent political activism during the
1980s
File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 420px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, ''Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ease tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the ...
, for example during the
Vondelstraat riots.
In March 2017,
news media
The news media or news industry are forms of mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public. These include news agencies, print media (newspapers, news magazines), broadcast news (radio and television), and ...
reported that the BSB had taken over the personal security duties of threatened Dutch politician
Geert Wilders
Geert Wilders (; born 6 September 1963) is a Dutch politician who has led the Party for Freedom (''Partij voor de Vrijheid'' – PVV) since he founded it in 2006. He is also the party's leader in the House of Representatives (''Tweede Kamer'' ...
after two officers of the personal security service of the
National Police Corps
The National Police Corps ( es, Cuerpo Nacional de Policía, link=no, CNP; ; also known simply as National Police, ) is the national civilian police force of Spain. The CNP is mainly responsible for policing urban areas, whilst rural policing ...
had leaked sensitive information.
Organisation
The BSB consists of three operational divisions: the Security Division, the Observation Team and the Arrest Team. Since 2015, the BSB is based in a new headquarters on the former
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
air base
An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...
Camp New Amsterdam in
Huis ter Heide.
Security Division
The primary task of the Security Division is providing personal security details to (military) dignitaries, both Dutch and foreign. The
bodyguards of the BSB cooperate closely with officers of the ''Dienst Koninklijke en Diplomatieke Beveiliging'' (DKDB) (English: Royal and Diplomatic Security Service) of the
National Police National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries:
*Afghanistan: Afghan National Police
*Haiti: Haitian National Police
*Colombia: National Police of Colombia
*Cuba: Cuban National Police
*East Timor: National Police of ...
who receive similar training. Compared to the DKDB, the BSB is particularly dedicated to operating in high-risk locations. For example, the BSB provides security to both the ambassadors and the embassies in countries such as
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
and
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
.
In addition to personal security details, the BSB conducts a wide range of other special security operations. The brigade is responsible for providing security during money and gold transports of the ''
De Nederlandsche Bank'', the Dutch
central bank
A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is an institution that manages the currency and monetary policy of a country or monetary union,
and oversees their commercial banking system. In contrast to a commercial bank, a central b ...
. In addition, the BSB runs the
sky marshal
A sky marshal is a covert law enforcement or counter-terrorist agent on board a commercial aircraft to counter aircraft hijackings. Such an agent is also known as an air marshal, a flight marshal, or an in-flight security officer (IFSO). Sky marsh ...
program which has been active since 2004. Non-uniformed BSB operators regularly travel aboard passenger flights which have been indicated as to carrying a potential terrorist threat.
Observation Team
The ''Observatieteam'' (OT) (English: Observation Team) is deployed when the
public prosecutor
A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal tria ...
has approved an order for structural observation. The legal frameworks for such observations are codified in the Dutch Code of Criminal Procedures and the Special Investigative Powers Act. Additionally, the Observation Team of the BSB conduct observations on behalf of the
General Intelligence and Security Service
The General Intelligence and Security Service ( nl, Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst, AIVD; ) is the intelligence and security agency of the Netherlands, tasked with domestic, foreign and signals intelligence and protecting national ...
(AIVD). As opposed to their AIVD counterparts, BSB OT personnel is always armed.
The OT distinguishes 'structural' and 'dynamic' observations. Structural observation consists of covert observation of individuals in order in to gain insight into their pattern of life. These operations are usually accompanied by the
interception of telecommunications. Dynamic observations are usually conducted by teams consisting of 7 to 10 operators using vehicles, on foot or from one or multiple static locations. For dynamic observations which require motorised vehicles, the BSB has a large and diverse fleet of civilian vehicles at its disposal. The discrete operation of these cars and motorcycle is taught by the training and education division during a specialised driving course.
Arrest Team
The BSB has fielded an independent
police tactical unit, known as ''Arrestatieteam'' (AT) ( en, Arrest Team), since 1994. The AT is tasked with conducting the arrests of armed suspects, combating organised crime and neutralising other life-threatening situaties for which the regular police or Marechaussee are not adequately equipped or trained. The BSB has made this AT available to the ''
Dienst Speciale Interventies
The ''Dienst Speciale Interventies'' ( en, Special Intervention Service), commonly abbreviated DSI, is the elite police tactical unit of the Dutch National Police Corps and was formally established on 1 July 2006. The DSI is tasked with neutralisin ...
'' (DSI) of the National Police. While the AT of the BSB resided under command of the DSI during operations, formally it is not part of the DSI. In addition, the brigade provides operators to the Unit Intervention, which is a mixed DSI unit consisting of both police and military operators, and the Rapid Response Teams of the DSI. Compared to the ATs of the DSI, the AT of the BSB is more often deployed for raids related to
criminal investigation
Criminal investigation is an applied science that involves the study of facts that are then used to inform criminal trials. A complete criminal investigation can include searching, interviews, interrogations, evidence collection and preservat ...
s of the Investigations Branch of the Marechaussee. Due to the BSB being a military unit, the brigade can also be deployed for the arrest of personnel of the
Netherlands Armed Forces.
File:BSB Mali 1.jpg, Personal security detail of a dignitary in Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...
, in 2016
File:Verhuizing goud DNB 2020 01.jpg, BSB operators at the DNB
Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...
during a gold transfer in Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
File:BSB_2015-5.jpg, BSB operators abseiling
Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling the person descending controls their own movement down the rope, in contrast to low ...
from the roof of the new headquarters at Camp New Amsterdam, in 2015
File:DSI_European_Security_Academy_2020-2.jpg, BSB Arrest Team dog handler during training in Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
Equipment
Weaponry
* Pistols:
Glock 17
Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was th ...
and
Glock 26
Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was th ...
* Submachine Guns:
MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 (german: Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, ...
,
MP7, and
FN P90
The FN P90 is a compact 5.7×28mm personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. It can also be considered a submachine gun. Created in response to NATO requests for a replacement for 9×19mm Parabellum firearms, th ...
* Shotguns:
Mossberg 590A1.
* Assault Rifles:
HK 416,
HK 417 and
SIG MCX
The SIG MCX is a family of firearms designed and manufactured by SIG Sauer, produced in both selective fire and semi-automatic only models, and features a short-stroke gas piston system, which is inherited from the earlier SIG MPX submachine g ...
(chambered in
.300 AAC Blackout
The .300 AAC Blackout (designated as the 300 BLK by the SAAMI and 300 AAC Blackout by the C.I.P. or 300 AAC Blackout'' C.I.P. TDCC sheet 300 ACC Blackout/ref>), also known as 7.62×35mm, is an intermediate cartridge developed in the United Sta ...
).
* Machine Guns:
FN Minimi
The FN Minimi (short for french: Mini Mitrailleuse; "mini machine gun") is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun/squad automatic weapon developed by Ernest Vervier for FN Herstal. First introduced in the late 1970s, it is now in service in more tha ...
.
* Sniper Rifles:
Accuracy International
Accuracy International is a British firearms manufacturer based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The company produces the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare series of precision sniper rifles. The company was established in 1978 by British ...
rifles (chambered in
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge widely used for hunting, target shooting, police, military, and personal protection applications globally. It is similar but not identical to the 7.62×51mm NATO ...
and
.338 Lapua Magnum
The .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70 mm or 8.58×70 mm) is a rimless, bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridge. It was developed during the 1980s as a high-powered, long-range cartridge for military snipers. It was used in the War in Afghanistan and ...
).
Vehicles
The BSB has access to a wide range of vehicles, some of which are armoured. A selection of vehicles known to be in use:
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
Official BSB page(Dutch)
{{commons category, Brigade Speciale Beveiligingsopdrachten
Specialist law enforcement agencies of the Netherlands
Royal Marechaussee
Special forces of the Netherlands